


Twin Sparks

by Angelwithwingsoffire



Series: Twin Sparks [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Add more later - Freeform, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, M/M, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Stiles and Lex, Stilinski Twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-31
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-01-27 16:39:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 47,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1717421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelwithwingsoffire/pseuds/Angelwithwingsoffire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scott smiled, happy to see her too but knowing Stiles needed his hug time first. “Pack, I’m pleased to introduce Ms Alexis Stilinski, also known as Lex. She’s Stiles’s twin sister.”<br/>“There’s two of them?!” Erica exclaimed.<br/>“Well there were three of us but I absorbed my sister in the womb.” Lex said as Stiles pulled out of the hug, laughing, but stayed close. “Damn it’s good to be home.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Back

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to fallenangelme for encouraging me to actually write this story because by god it is fun.

Stiles’s phone was ringing but he was too busy to answer it. He was running for his life. Again. For the second time this week. He cussed Scott and Derek out, calling them every name under the sun, as he ran from the clan of things chasing him. He could hear the pack’s howls as they came to his rescue but he had been exceedingly far away from the house, exploring their territory and setting up wards, when they’d attacked so now he was running. He could hear the pack getting closer, wolfed out to fight, so he headed for a clearing he knew was nearby. They prefer fighting where they can see each other, which means clearings. He sensed them shift course to meet him there and added a burst of speed to get there without dying first. The monsters were gaining on him and would catch up soon enough.

He burst through the trees and fell into the clearing, tripping on his own feet as the pack burst from the other side. The two groups started to fight as the clan followed him out of the trees and Stiles got his first good look at one. It was a girl who at one time may have been pretty but now her face and neck were covered in burn marks and scars and her eyes had been gouged out at some point and her mouth looked like someone had sewn it shut before she tore it back open, leaving the bloody thread dangling from her mouth.

“Stiles what are they?!” Scott shouted. “How do we kill them?!” He slashed out a throat and the body was still for a moment before sewing back with more scarred flesh and then it was attacking again. “And how do we keep them dead?!” Scott screamed.

“I’m looking!” Stiles answered, scrambling for the bag he always carried. He pulled out the old, thick book from inside, knowing the pack would keep him safe, and opened it. He started thumbing through the pages and looked up to find Scott fighting the leader and opened his mouth to shout out his new advice right as Scott was thrown back and the leader swung towards him. Just as it was about to lunge towards him, a sword was swung through its neck and it dropped to the floor. A girl was standing there in jeans, a black undershirt with red plaid hanging open over top, long dirty blonde hair, bright green eyes, and a massive, familiar smirk on her face. She was holding a broadsword with it propped on her shoulder as she smirked down at him.

“Beheading tends to work with most things.” She advised, spinning the blade down and stabbing it into the creature’s body as it started to twitch again. “Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you see it on a nippy night like tonight, with these guys you must follow it with a nice and toasty fire.” She twitched her right hand and fire shot down the blade, incinerating the body impaled on it. Then she yanked the blade out and spun it quickly. When it stopped it was a cricket bat that she reached backwards and stuck into the backpack she had on. Then she looked at the other body parts strewn around her, the pack’s attempt at making sure the things couldn’t reform, and twitched her hand at them. They burst into flames and turned to ash. She turned and grinned at Stiles. “You know, when I left I thought you could manage not to get into so much trouble. I should’ve known better.”

“Lex?” Stiles choked out, shock evident on his face.

She smiled softly. “Hey brother. How you been?”

Stiles jumped to his feet and launched himself at her, hugging her tightly.

She laughed and hugged him back, burying her face in his neck.

“Who’s she?” Derek asked, looking at Scott.

Scott smiled, happy to see her too but knowing Stiles needed his hug time first. “Pack, I’m pleased to introduce Ms Alexis Stilinski, also known as Lex. She’s Stiles’s twin sister.”

“There’s two of them?!” Erica exclaimed.

“Well there was three but I absorbed my sister in the womb.” Lex said as Stiles pulled out of the hug, laughing, but stayed close. “But damn it’s good to be home.” She opened her arms to Scott. “Come here pup.”

Scott bounded forward and grabbed her up, spinning her around before clutching her to him. “Damn good to see you.” He said into her hair.

She laughed and hugged him back. “Good to see you to Scotty.” She let Scott hold her for another second and then pulled away to look at the pack’s shocked faces. “Well,” she said, “I definitely made a strange first impression.”


	2. A Bite

“So does Dad know you’re here?” Stiles asked, looking at his sister as they walked through the forest, heading back to the Hale house as introductions had been made in the clearing.

Lex nodded. “Yup. Called him when I decided to come home. Made him promise not to tell though. And we spoke Polish so your wolfy little friends here didn’t ruin my surprise.” She poked Scott’s side as she spoke of the wolves and he flinched away, ticklish as always.

“How’d you know about us being wolves?” Derek asked from behind them.

She glanced back at him and smiled. “I know a lot of things about this town.”

“We already have one guy for cryptic answers.” Stiles said. “Come on sis. Tell.”

She sighed. “It’s a bit of a long story Sti. One that goes back to me leaving in the first place.”

“Then I definitely need to hear it.” He decided.

She nodded. “Alright. Get anyone you want to hear it gathered together and I’ll talk.”

Stiles nodded. “Scott the pack, my dad, your mom.”

Scott nodded. “You got it.” He pulled out his phone to call his mom.

“How’d you know how to kill those things?” Isaac asked.

“I know a lot of things.” Lex repeated. “That being one.”

“Lex.” Stiles said, warning in his voice.

She just smiled sweetly at him. “Yes?”

“You’re a bitch.” He decided.

“I’m related to you.” She reminded.

“I’m well aware of that thank you.”

“What was with the fire?” Erica asked. “That was pretty cool.”

Lex smiled. “Thanks. I can’t do it very often but it’s good for times like that when you need to torch a clan of Zagjwah.”

“Zagjwah?” Stiles asked.

“Undead.” Lex clarified. “They don’t really have a name in English as far as I know. But I learned all my knowledge in different languages so there’s that factor as well. Basically only fire can kill them. Anything less and they just sew themselves back together again.”

“Yea we noticed.” Isaac said, wincing when a branch hit his shoulder.

“Are you alright?” Lex asked, stopping so he’d catch up with her and then making him stop.

“I’m fine.” He said, pulling back as she reached up to his shoulder.

“Let me see.” She said.

Isaac glanced at Stiles and he nodded, smiling. Isaac looked back at Lex and nodded.

She pulled aside his sleeve and bared the bite mark on his shoulder. “Dammit.” She muttered.

“What?” Isaac asked.

“One of them bit you.” She said.

“Yea? So?”

“They transfer their disease the same way wolves do. Through a bite.”

Isaac looked down at her, eyes wide with fear. “I’m going to become that?”

“No. Not if we get this treated fast enough. I’ve got some things that can help but we need to hurry. We’ve already wasted a lot of time.”

“We’ll carry you back.” Scott said. “Boyd get Stiles. I’ll carry Lex. We’ll be faster this way.”

Everyone nodded and Derek moved to stand by Isaac in case he was affected by the bite and Lex and Stiles got on their rides before the wolves sprinted back into the trees.

They held on tight and laid flat against their wolves’ shoulders, hiding from the branches above them.

They reached the house quickly and Lex slipped from Scott’s back to look at Isaac again. “Inside. Bathroom. Now.” She ordered.

Isaac nodded and ran into the house, her on his heels.

“Shirt off.” She ordered as she followed him into the bathroom. “And sit on the edge of the tub.” She looked back at the pack in the doorway and smiled. “Someone find me some raw meat. Preferably something ground up.”

Derek turned and hurried back downstairs.

Lex looked at Stiles and beckoned him in. He went straight to her side and she pointed him towards Isaac. “Help him wash it out. It needs to be clean.”

Derek appeared with a bowl of raw, ground hamburger meat and she took it with a small smile and set it on the counter. She pulled off her backpack and set it on the counter before pulling jars and bottles out and lining them up on the counter.

“Too much shit. And not enough time to pack it right means this’ll take a second.” She sighed, annoyed. She pulled out two more tiny bottles, checked the symbols on the label, and then pulled out a bowl before putting the bag on the ground and putting the bowl down in its place. “Wolves hold your breath.” She ordered as she popped the stopper on a bottle and poured some into the bowl. She stoppered it quickly and grabbed a jar, throwing a pinch of some powder in. There was a cloud of steam and she smiled. “Breathe again.”

“What was that?” Scott asked.

“Wolfsbane and a scent deactivator.” Lex answered, grabbing more things and adding them to the bowl. “You’re all safe but it’s needed in order for this to work on him.”

“It’s gonna hurt, isn’t it?” Isaac asked, his arm was wet and so was down the side of his pants. He looked like a kicked puppy.

“Yup.” Lex said. “It’ll burn like hell and ache for days but without it you’ll turn into a flesh hungry monster.”

“I’ll take the pain.” Isaac decided.

“Good decision.” She said, turning with the bowl to smile at him. “Otherwise I’d have to kill you.” She looked at the others. “Scott I’ll need you for this. Derek and Boyd I need you in here as well.”

“What about me?” Erica asked.

“I need you to bring the meat over.” Lex answered, walking over to stand in front of Isaac with the bowl. “Each wolf take a limb.” She ordered. “And leave this arm free.”

Scott took Isaac’s other arm and Derek and Boyd each took a leg.

“You ready Isaac?” She asked.

He nodded, still looking terrified.

She smiled assuredly and took his hand in hers. “Hold tight alright.”

He nodded again and squeezed slightly.

“I won’t break.” She told him.

He squeezed a little harder.

She smiled and looked at Erica and Stiles. “As soon as I pour this I need the meat.”

Erica nodded.

“Good. Hold on boys.” She tipped the bowl and drenched his arm in the thick liquid in it.

His back bowed and he screamed as his skin smoked. His eyes flashed bright gold and his fangs dropped as he roared. He thrashed his limbs against the wolves, who winced at the sound of his roar and the stench of his flesh smoking.

“Hold on to him!” Lex screamed, grabbing the meat from Erica and taking a handful. She smeared it onto the wound and he whimpered, falling still. “Don’t let go.” She warned. “Three. Two. One.” She counted down and when she reached zero Isaac’s back bowed again and he screamed, his voice raw and pain filled. Then he collapsed onto Scott, who eased him off the edge of the tub and on to the floor. The meat fell from his arm, burned to a crisp, and let just a small, puckered scar in its place.

Lex stood up, swaying on her feet. “Stiles.” She whispered.

He rushed forward and grabbed her, steadying her. “You alright?”

She nodded slowly. “Too much too fast.” She answered. “And that spell takes a lot of energy.”

“Scott help me.” Stiles said.

Scott stepped forward, giving Isaac to Derek, and together they helped her out of the tub and sat her on the toilet.

“Are you alright?” Isaac asked, looking up at her.

She smiled back at him. “‘M fine pup. Just been awhile since I faced a Zagjwah and cleansed a bite from one. It was a good experience.”

“Glad I could help.” He said, his eyes slipping closed.

“Lex is that normal?” Scott asked, a little worried.

Lex nodded slowly. “We’re both going to need sleep right now and food when we get up. Lots of it.”

Stiles nodded and slid in next to her, sliding her arm around his waist. “You can sleep in my room here. It’s got a comfy bed and it’s warm.”

She smiled softly. “I like warm and comfy.”

“What do I do with this meat?” Erica asked, looking at the raw meat still in the bowl and the crispy meat on the floor.

“Whatever.” Lex answered, waving a hand behind her as Stiles helped her from the room. “But whatever you do, don’t eat it. It’s filled with Zagjwah poison now.”

“Burn it Erica.” Derek said.

She nodded and followed Stiles and Lex from the room. Boyd just sort of wandered out, leaving Derek and Scott with an unconscious Isaac.

Derek looked at Scott. “Why’d we not know about her?”

Scott sighed. “Stiles doesn’t like to talk about her. They were close, being twins and all, but she decided to leave and go to a boarding school in Ireland and left him behind. It hurt him but he’s gotten used to it. Things’ll probably be different now she’s back. The question is, how she know about this world? And how is she so good at killing things in it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you guys think so far?  
> Oh and this will most likely be updated every Saturday and Wednesday with most likely a few late ones as I update around work and sometimes I don't have time. But I'll try to keep to that schedule as much as I can:)


	3. Home

The next morning everyone was in Derek’s living room, staring at Lex, who was still eating. Isaac had already finished and she was on her fifth plate of food. Everyone had been astonished at how much she ate but when Scott asked after her fourth plate she smiled and shrugged saying magic drained energy a lot. As she scraped up the last of the eggs and ate them, she smiled at Stiles.

He rolled his eyes. “I’ll make you more after you tell us.”

She sighed but the set the plate aside, picked up the mug of hot chocolate that was there, and curled up in the chair. She locked eyes with her dad and smiled.

“Well really this all started when I convinced Dad to let me go to this boarding school in Ireland. I found it online and I knew it was what I needed. What I never said was that I’d discovered my spark.”

Stiles sat up straighter, as did John.

“When I was thirteen I made a glass explode. I panicked and made another explode. I forced myself to calm down, cleaned up the mess, and then went upstairs to figure out what the hell it was. I found that boarding school and sent an email, asking about it. They responded and within a month I knew what I had to do. I didn’t know if Stiles had the spark or not, they said sometimes only one twin as it, so I didn’t say anything. I just talked about the curriculum and how I really wanted to go and well Dad let me.” She looked at John and smiled. “Which I am forever grateful for by the way.”

John smiled back.

“I started there my freshmen year of high school. They helped me learn to control my magic as well as fight to protect. I could’ve come home for sophomore year, but I felt it wasn’t time. I chose to stay for my sophomore year and learned more. Then I ended up staying for junior year as well. I helped teach new kids and protect the school.”

“From what?” Scott asked.

“Everything.” Lex answered. She took a deep breath. “We were on the meeting place of almost a dozen telluric currents. There were three Nemetons on the school grounds. We attracted everything. We were always being attacked.” She lowered her head, looking at the drink in her hands. “I-I’ve done some things I never thought I’d do. But I don’t regret them. Lives were saved because of me and I would never change it.” She looked up at her brother and her father across and gave them a sad smile. “The only thing I regret is not being here when my brother needed me.”

Stiles shook his head. “I don’t care.” He said. “I’m just glad you’re home.”

She smiled and looked around at the pack. “Well, ask any questions you have. I’ll answer as best as I’m allowed.”

“Allowed?” Scott asked.

“Some things about the school and its people must be kept secret to keep it safe.”

“How did you do that thing with the sword?” Isaac asked.

Lex smiled and pulled her cricket bat out from the backpack by her feet. She spun it in the air once and she had a bow and quiver in her hand. She spun again and it was a short sword. She spun it again and was holding the cricket bat again. “It’s magic.” She said. “I made it at the school during sophomore year. Although I guess I’ll need a lacrosse stick or a baseball bat one now. Maybe even both. Or multiple of each.”

“I want one.” Stiles said.

Lex laughed. “Alright. I’ll make you one. Which one you want?”

“Both.” He answered.

“Okiedokie.”

“How come it’s not changing now?” Erica asked.

Lex looked at the cricket bat she’d been mindlessly swinging and smiled. “It takes a thought from me. A set of words I think to make it change.”

“That’s awesome.” Isaac declared.

Lex smiled. “Thanks. I thought so to. Took forever to get the spells right though.”

“How did you find Stiles?” Derek asked.

“How do you find Stiles?” Lex countered.

“Smell. Sound. Pack sense.” Derek answered.

“I find him by following my heart.” She said, leaning towards him slightly and looking him straight in the eye. “He’s my twin and I’m connected to him. I could find him anywhere. No matter what was in my way.”

“What are you?” Boyd asked.

Lex sat back, laughing. “You know I thought that would be among the first questions asked. Not a later one. Although I guess I understand your concern about my brother. He’s a damn good trouble magnet.”

All the wolves’ heads shot up and Lex sighed.

“That is in no way subtle.”

“It’s Lydia and Aiden.” Scott said. “They came as soon as they could. And they have Allison, Danny, and Ethan with them as well.”

“Yay. More people to threaten me.” Lex sighed.

Stiles snorted and got up. He walked over and squeezed himself in to the armchair with Lex, pushing her half onto his lap. Lex laughed and got comfy, holding the hot chocolate tightly. She saw Stiles making puppy dog eyes at it and handed it to him, laughing. He took a slurp and grinned. She just rolled her eyes and looked to the door as five people walked in.

“Good morning!” She chirped.

“Who’s she?” The redhead demanded.

“Lydia this is Alexis normally called Lex.” Scott said, stepping up. “She’s Stiles’s twin sister.”

“Twin?” Allison asked. “There’s _two_ of them?!”

Everyone laughed.

“That’s what Erica said.” Stiles said.

Lex unfolded herself from her brother’s lap and walked over to them, switching her mug to her left hand so she could shake their hands. “Nice to meet you all.” She looked at Scott. “Who are they?”

“Lydia. Aiden. Danny. Ethan. Allison.” Scott said, pointing at each in turn.

Lex looked at Allison and then tilted her head slightly. “Are you an Argent?”

Allison nodded slowly, now sure how she’d react.

“Do you kill innocents?” Lex asked.

Allison shook her head quickly. “I’m in this pack for a reason.”

Lex nodded. “Good. I’ve had to kill some of your relatives and I’d rather not kill you.”

Allison seemed a little taken aback but smiled slightly.

“What’s going on?” Lydia demanded.

“I was attacked by a Zagjwah, a flesh eating monster that used to be human and anything you do to it scars over unless you burn it, then she appeared, cut off the leader’s head and lit him on fire then burned the rest, walked back with us, discovered Isaac had a bite from one of the things which would infect him because they pass it like wolves do, healed him, slept for over twelve hours to recover, ate more food than even Scott can pack away, and then told us about how the boarding school she went to taught her to control her spark of magic and teach her to fight so she stayed two extra years to help them but now she’s home and I’m never letting her leave again.” Stiles summarized. “Any questions?”

“What is she?” Boyd reminded.

“Right. Everyone sit I want to hear this.” Stiles ordered. “Lexi come here.”

“Anyone else who calls me Lexi gets their genitals removed.” Lex said, going back to sit with her brother. Instead of sitting on him she perched on the arm and looked at the others gathered in the room. “I am human. Mostly.”

“And the other bit?” Stiles asked. “What are we?”

“You’re human bro. I’m not because my spark is developed. If you let me develop yours you’ll become what I am to.”

“And what’s that?” John asked, speaking for the first time in a while.

“I’m a Fae.”

“A fairy?” Aiden asked.

Lex’s gaze shot to him and he froze underneath the intensity. Everyone could feel the power rolling off of her. “Never. Call. Me. A. Fairy.” She said slowly. Aiden nodded frantically and Lex smiled, brightening. “Good. Now that that settled, no I’m not a fairy. Fae is just a word for something human-like with magic. Witches are a common one and Sparks are very rare. They only happen one way.”

“What’s that?” Scott asked.

Lex looked at her dad. “When a person saves the life of a High Fae, they bless them. The person becomes a Bendigaid. A Blessed One. And if that person has a child, that child carries some of the High Fae’s magic inside them. They are a Spark.”

“Dad?” Stiles asked. “Was mom-?”

John nodded. “She told me once. About the man she saved who wasn’t a man. She said he was the reason she never worried about your safety. She said she knew he was watching over you two.”

Lex nodded. “I met him. In Ireland. He remembered her. He was one of teachers. Said he never forgot the beautiful woman who saved him in that tiny town in the hills.”

John smiled. “Did you-?”

“Yea. I told him. He said he knew. He felt it. He told me that was the first time in over a fifty years that he’d cried like that. Sparks are trained by the High Fae. High Fae are what most people would think of when they think of Fae. Immortality. Immense beauty. Magic. Wings. That shit.”

“Language Lex.” John warned.

“Dad I’ve killed people. I’ve gone far past the swearing is bad stage.”

“How many people have you killed?” Danny asked.

“Depends what you consider a person.” Lex answered.

“A human.” Danny clarified.

“Five.”

“And non-humans?” Derek asked.

Lex looked at him. “Plenty.”

Stiles reached up and laid a hand on her waist. She lowered hers to cover it and looked at her dad. “You look worried Dad.”

He looked up at her and smiled. “I’m alright sweetie.”

“Dad what’s wrong?” Stiles asked.

“I’m just worried Stiles. I was worried when it was just you and now it’s both of you and you two always got into trouble when you were younger.”

They both smiled. “We’ll be fine Dad.” Stiles said.

“Yea we always are.” Lex smiled. “And besides, we’ve got these guys to make sure Stiles doesn’t hurt himself _too_ bad.”

The pack all laughed.

“Alright guys.” Scott said. “Lex is pack.”

Stiles grabbed the mug from Lex and got it on the table before Scott was on them. The three old friends cuddled together, coating each other in scent. Then John sighed and stood up. He walked over and put his hand on his daughter’s head.

Lex looked up at him, smiling.

“It’s good to have you home.”

She grinned. “It’s good to be home Dad.”


	4. An Uncertain Friendship

“Hello?” Derek called out, waking up in the living room to sounds in the kitchen and following them.

Lex popped out of the kitchen and gave him a smile. “Oh sorry I woke you.”

Derek shook his head. “It’s fine. I don’t sleep much anyways.”

Lex smiled sadly, returning to the kitchen with him behind her. “Nightmares?”

Derek nodded.

“Of your family? The fire?” She asked, going to stove and setting a pan on it before going about her business making something.

Derek nodded again, this time cautiously.

“I was friends with Cora.” She explained. “I was hit pretty hard by it.”

“I remember you.” Derek whispered.

Lex smiled. “It’s hard not to. I was a very loud child.” She pulled two mugs from the cupboard and poured the liquid she’d been making in them. Hot chocolate. She set one in front of Derek and sat at the counter. “Drink it. It won’t hurt you. I used to make it for Cora when we were little. She was in love with it.”

Derek smiled and picked it up, inspecting it for a moment before taking a sip. He reeled in surprise. “That’s really good.”

Lex smiled. “Told ya so.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “What do you dream of?”

“The school. And the hell I went through there.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Lex looked at him. “You’re not how I imagined you’d be Derek.”

“And how was that?”

“An ass. Stiles wrote me letters to keep me up to date on things here and he made you seem like a complete asshole. But you’re not. Just not an open man.”

Derek smiled slightly. “I’ve gotten better with pack around.”

Lex nodded. “Wolves tend to.”

“Why’d you choose to come back now?”

She shrugged. “I needed my pack.”

Derek nodded, understanding. “And the real reason? You’re good at lying, but I’m better at seeing it.”

Lex chuckled. “All in good time Derek. But for now, that’s the reason. Okay? I need you to trust me on this. Can you do that?”

Derek nodded. “Scott trusts you so I do to but don’t hurt this pack.”

She smiled. “I’d rather die.”

“Good. Then maybe we can get along.”

Lex grinned. “I’d like that.”

“So do you need to talk?”

Lex sighed. “Not really. It’s pretty much the same thing every night. My friends dying. Me unable to save them. Seeing Stiles dead. I’m sure the pack will make an appearance soon enough. It just sucks cause sometimes it’s worse.”

“What happens?” Derek asked gently.

“Sometimes I’m the one killing them. I have darkness inside me from a creature I killed a while ago and it makes it a challenge to control myself.” She held up her wrist where an intricate silver bracelet hung. “This blocks it. If this were to come off, which it shouldn’t because it’s magically reinforced not to, I would lose control of that darkness and it would take me. And use my power and my body to kill everything and everyone I have ever loved. Those are the worst nightmares. I wake up and I can still feel their blood on my hands and sometimes I can see it more often I smell it and it’s so fucking hard not to break when that happens.”

“It happened tonight, didn’t it?”

She nodded. “I don’t sleep much anymore and when I do it’s pretty bad.”

“If there’s anyone that knows nightmares, it’s me.”

“What do you dream of?”

“The fire that killed my family. I remember the sounds of their screams and the stench of their flesh as they burned. I can still see their bodies when they were pulled out. I can still see my little brother’s burnt corpse lying on a stretcher, arms clutching the teddy bear he carried everywhere. Scraps of it were burnt to his bones. I remember every detail of that night and every night after when I woke up screaming because of the memories. I remember trying to kill myself because of the guilt I carried knowing I am the reason they’re dead. The only reason I’m alive today is Laura saving me. I remember everything and dream about it all the time. I wake up with the smell in my nose and the taste of smoke in my mouth. The image of my family burnt to crisps because of me is imprinted in my eyelids and every time I blink I see them. I don’t sleep much either.”

Lex gave him a small smile. “If you ever need to talk, I’m here. We may have just met but sometimes you just need to talk to someone who won’t judge you.”

Derek nodded. “The same goes for you. If you ever need to talk, I’m right here.”

Lex smiled and nodded.

Derek smiled back and they drank their hot chocolate in silence, watching each other across the island.

 

The next morning everyone noticed the easy way Derek acted with Lex, a level of comfort Derek had only just reached with them, but they didn’t want to break it so they didn’t say anything. Well most of the pack didn’t say anything. Stiles has never had much tact.

“Alright what happened?” He demanded over breakfast. Most of the others had left, including the parents, leaving just him, Scott, Allison, Derek, and Isaac in the pack house with Sam. The others had work or summer school to get to.

“What are you talking about Stiles?” Lex asked, confused.

“You and Derek keep touching and neither of you is flinching. Your fucking elbows are rubbing. What happened?”

The two looked down where their elbows were indeed rubbing and then at him. They shrugged and dug back into their food.

“No!” Stiles shouted, pointing his fork at them. “No shrugging and it vanishing! You two just met and you’re like besties so talk!”

Lex sighed. “I woke up him up and we shared hot chocolate and angsted together about nightmares and our dead families. That’s it Stiles. Pull your mind out of the gutter.”

Stiles stuck his tongue out at her. “You could’ve just said you made hot chocolate. I know how magic that shit is.”

Lex chuckled and Derek rolled his eyes.\

“So what happens now?” Scott asked.

“We let Lex settle in.” Stiles decided.

“I don’t need to settle in Stiles.” Lex said. “There’s something that needs to be done.”

“What?” Stiles asked.

Lex glanced at Derek and sighed. “There’s something here. Something that wants me dead. It’s here after you Stiles. It tracked me here. And Stiles I’m still your sister and I love you and I’m trying to protect you but you cannot be left alone until this is fixed. A wolf needs to be with you at all times or he’ll kill you. Okay?”

Stiles nodded. “Let me help Lex. Let us help.”

“No.” Lex looked around the table. “I love you all even though I met most of you yesterday. I can already feel you all in my head so do this for me. Keep him safe and don’t let him go anywhere alone. This creature is extremely dangerous and will do anything to kill him. And me. But Stiles, as an untrained, is more vulnerable. This creature will know that by killing Stiles I will be weakened and easier to kill. They’ll go for him first.”

“What is this creature?” Scott asked.

Lex looked at him and then Derek and then glanced at Allison before sighing and looking down at her lap. “He’s a former Hunter. An Argent.”


	5. Melltigedig

“I don’t know of any of my family here.” Allison said immediately.

“Well no he wouldn’t tell you he’s here you’d kill him on sight.”

“Why’s that?” Allison asked.

“Like I said, _former_ Hunter. He doesn’t look uh human anymore. I made sure of that a long time ago.” She winced a bit at the memory and looked at them. “That’s when he dedicated his life to killing as many Sparks as possible. Because he doesn’t know the identity of the Spark that hurt him. He only knows that it is a Spark he is after. Or at least that’s how it was. He tortured a Spark in Austria and they gave me up. He gave them the mercy of death. Now he’s after Stiles to weaken me so he can kill me and complete his vengeful mission before offing himself for his non-humanity.”

“Who was he?” Stiles asked.

“His name was Jonathan Argent. He was born and raised in France. He is fluent in five languages, including English, and is better than most Argents at weapons. He’s a very good Hunter.”

“What did you do?” Derek asked.

Lex took a deep breath. “He came for the school. He was going to burn it to the ground with all of us locked inside.”

“Like Kate did.” Derek choked.

She nodded. “I stopped him. I was a freshman at the time, two months into training. When he and his hunters attacked, me and my classmates fought back. But we were freshmen. We had no control. The others passed out because they rode their power to hard to protect the building. I only attacked them. I let them do whatever they wanted to the building and attacked them. And then I lost my control. I hit him with a huge blast of magic at that exact moment one of my teachers sank an arrow into his heart. The arrow was of Rowan wood and highly volatile with magic. My magic affected it and together they changed him rather than killing him. He became…something else. There is no name for what he is other than a Melltigedig. A Cursed One. Humans that risk attacking the supernatural and end up becoming one of us. Mountain ash burns him. Wolfsbane poisons him. Wards will keep him out. But not forever. He is still slightly human and with that comes the willpower to eventually overcome any ward put against him. And none of my wards would work period. I can’t stop him because I’m the one who created him. My magic is what keeps him alive. It refuses to keep him out because it recognizes him as me.”

“What do we do then?” Derek asked.

“One of you has to be the one to kill him. His head must be torn off and his limbs must be separated from his body before burning all the pieces.”

“And that’ll get rid of him?”

“Yes. With a price.”

“What price?” Allison asked.

“Like I said, he’s cursed. Both himself and the person who created him.”

“Lex. What do you mean?” Stiles asked, his voice controlled as he spoke, barely concealing the worry in his voice.

“When you kill him my magic will return to me. But it’ll be corrupt. Being inside him is twisting it and corrupting it to the point where when it returns to me it’ll hurt me rather than be mine. It won’t recognize me as its master. It’ll attack me.”

“What will happen?” Derek asked. He sounded almost as worried as Stiles. Everyone could hear it and all were shocked at how quick he’d taken to Lex but none of them had heard the conversation last night and none of them knew how much it meant to both of them to have someone who understood.

“I don’t know.” Lex said. “It depends how strong I am when it happens and how long he’s had it and how much I can fight. Having the pack will help me but I won’t know until it happens.”

“We’ll be there for you.” Stiles declared. “All of us.”

“Definitely.” Scott said, shaking his shock and worry off to be confident and sure. “We’ll be right there beside you.”

Derek didn’t even say anything, just shifted his arm and pressed it against Lex’s arm, making a silent promise to be at her side.

She pressed back and smiled at her brother. “This isn’t going to be easy Stiles.”

He smiled. “I know. But when have things ever been easy for us?”

Lex smiled. “Very true.”

“What does he look like?” Allison asked. “You said he doesn’t look human.”

Lex sighed. “You guys saw a Darach. A burned one. Right?”

“Yes.” Derek answered, wincing slightly at the memory.

“She used a spell to make herself look pretty.” Stiles added.

“That’s pretty much what he looks like.” Lex said. “Also a bit like Voldemort.” She added after a moment’s thought.

“So pale white, no nose, bald, scarred, and weird looking?” Stiles summarized.

“Pretty much.” Lex said. “Except on the top of his head will be a black Celtic knot.”

“What knot?” Derek asked.

Lex stuck out her right arm and pushed the sleeve up, displaying her forearm. She clenched her fist and a black mark appeared. “This mark shows is what binds me and my magic to him.” She unclenched her hand, let the mark vanish again, pulled her sleeve back down, and withdrew her hand. “That mark marks him as a Cursed One. And it marks me as its creator.”

“Marks you?” Stiles asked. “Like people can see it?”

She nodded. “Any trained Spark could see the mark. And some untrained if they’re strong enough. And it’s a mark to be avoided.”

“Like a thief’s mark.” Allison observed.

“Yea. Exactly like that.” Lex said. “I’m basically a leper in our community until I fix this. And I can’t without help. I wanted to let you all get used to me being around again but he tracked me faster than I thought. Every day he gets stronger and I get weaker. And it’s getting worse. I thought I had a few months but I have at most one until he’s drained me.”

“What happens then?” Derek asked. Everyone could hear the worry in his voice but none of them were going to acknowledge it. Or think about it. Or confirm its existence in any way.

“I die. My magic is what’s keeping me alive. Without it I will die. And with all my magic he would be unstoppable. Unkillable.”

“Then we have to find him.” Scott said. “We have to find him and then we kill him. As soon as possible. I’m not letting you die.”

Lex smiled at him. “Thank you Scott.”

Scott nodded. It was clear he was holding back tears as he got up and walked around the table to hug Lex tightly. “I’m not letting anything take you away from Stiles again.”

Stiles heard that and his voice hitched. He quickly clambered to his feet and joined the two of them in a tight hug.

Lex smiled as she felt Allison join them as well, holding back her own tears. Lex let her tears flow down her face as she twisted her arm to grab Derek’s hand in hers. She squeezed tightly and Derek squeezed back. She smiled even bigger, knowing that all of them were going to help her. That she wasn’t alone anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the Mark of the Cursed One: http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs29/f/2008/065/c/0/Celtic_Knot_Tattoo_Design_by_GodOfErg_27.jpg


	6. Drawings

“So what can you do?” Isaac asked, sitting down next to Lex on the porch steps where she was watching Derek and Scott spar. “You’ve been here almost a month and we still know almost nothing about you.”

“I can curl my tongue.” She answered, demonstrating. “I can hold intelligent conversation in almost a dozen languages and less intelligent conversation in a dozen and a half more. I can tell time by looking at the sky and I read archaic Latin books for fun. I enjoy long walks through the trees and can spend hours not touching the ground. But none of that is what you were asking, is it?”

“No.” Isaac answered, smirking a little. “Although it’s all cool stuff.”

Lex smiled. “I don’t like to talk about my magic Isaac. It bothers me.”

“Why does it bother you?”

“I’ve killed people Isaac. People that deserved it but I still killed them. I’ve been soaked with blood so thick I could barely move. My skin has been stained after a battle because of the amount of blood on me and yet I still fought the next day.” Lex looked at him. “I don’t like to remember those days.”

“You can walk through the forest without touching the ground?” Isaac asked, turning back to something she’d said to help her.

She smiled, knowing what he was doing. “I stay in the trees.”

“Like a flying squirrel or something?”

“Exactly like that. I jump from branch to branch to move through the forest at pretty much the same pace I would on the ground, or faster if I want to.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“It is.” Lex smiled. “I use it to clear my mind.”

Isaac smiled. “I have something like that. Whenever I can’t stop thinking about my dad or the freezer he used to lock me in, I draw. Derek got me a bunch of sketchbooks and drawing pencils for my birthday last year. They really help.”

Lex grinned. “I love drawing. Stiles got the gift for words. I got the gift for pictures.”

“Can I see some of your work?” Isaac asked hopefully.

Lex nodded and grabbed her bag from between her feet. She pulled a sketchbook out and handed it to Isaac. “That’s one you can look in. Some of my sketchbooks are magically locked because I use drawing to speak my emotions and I don’t need people seeing those drawings. But the others are pretty much fair game. Stiles’ll probably end up going through them all anyways so go ahead.”

Isaac smiled and opened the book. On the first page was a drawing of a grey wolf with its head thrown back towards the full moon above it.

“That’s my best friend at the school.” Sam whispered. “She can shift to a full wolf and I loved drawing her wolf form.”

“She can fully shift?” Lydia asked, popping up near them. “I thought that was rare.”

“Maybe over here.” Lex laughed. “But over there most wolves can. In fact every werewolf in the world can shift to a full wolf. It’s a matter of control and a strong enough anchor in order to do it.”

“Could you teach me?” Isaac asked.

Lex smiled and shrugged. “Probably. You’ll need a lot more control though. And you need to strengthen your anchor. I can feel both and you’re strong, but not strong enough.”

“What about Derek?” Stiles asked, coming over and sitting behind his twin, arms around her shoulders. “Could Derek do a full shift?”

Lex looked at the alpha and tilted her head to the side, inspecting Derek. “He needs a bit more control and he needs a better anchor. Anger is not something a wolf should be bound to.”

Derek threw Scott to the side and locked eyes with Lex, growling.

“Don’t growl at me.” Lex said calmly facing the red eyes. “You know it’s true.”

“I don’t use anger as an anchor.” Derek said, dropping his shift. “Not for a while.”

“Really?” Stiles prodded. “What is it now?”

Derek looked at him. “Pack.”

“Then strengthen your bonds Derek.” Lex advised. “Maybe someday I’ll be able to teach you to shift into a full wolf.”

Derek looked thoughtful for a moment before walking over to flop down in front of Lex. In the three weeks since she’d showed up the two of them continued to shock the pack with the familiarity they had, always comfortable laying on or with the other. “And how would you advise I do that?”

Lex smiled. “Well I seem to remember a lake on your land. I used to run past there all the time.”

Derek looked at her annoyed. “Why would you say that?”

“LAKE DAY!” Stiles screamed.

“We’ll go tomorrow.” Derek sighed. “The rest have off and we’ll all be able to go.”

Stiles sighed. “Fine. But I hate you for not telling me about it sooner.”

“There was a reason for that.” Derek muttered.

“What?” Stiles asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Nothing.” Derek smiled.

Stiles glared at him but then Lex pinched his shin and he turned his glare to her before squeezing his arms around her tightly. He spotted the sketchbook in Isaac’s hands and made an excited squealing sound. “Your drawings!”

“Yes Stiles.” Lex said, flinching from the high pitched sound. “They’re my drawings.”

“Isaac lemme look to!” Stiles shuffled more towards Isaac and he moved closer so Stiles could look over his shoulder without letting go of Lex.

“You draw?” Derek asked, looking up at Lex.

She nodded. “I’ve always loved to draw.”

Derek’s mouth curled up a little and he sat up so he could look over the top of the sketchbook at her drawings. The book was still open to the wolf and Derek’s eyes raised in surprise. “That’s really good.”

“Well now I’ve gotta take a look.” Lydia said, leaning over Isaac to see it. She had the same reaction as the others. “Wow Lex. That’s really pretty.”

“Thanks.” Lex smiled.

“Did you ever end up drawing it?” Stiles asked.

Lex chuckled. “You’re still stuck on that?”

“Of course!”

Lex laughed.

“What are you talking about?” Scott asked, plopping down next to Derek. He glanced at the sketchbook and smiled. “Still drawing I see.”

“I probably always will.” Lex shrugged.

“So what drawing is this?” Derek asked.

Lex smiled and reached for the sketchbook. She closed it and set it on her lap before holding out her hands as if holding a book. “No one move.” She whispered. Her eyes flashed and a white sketchbook appeared in her hands.

“Whoa!” Stiles exclaimed. “How’d you do that?”

“Magic.” Lex answered. “I’ll explain it to later if you want.”

“Hell yea!”

“I’d like to hear as well.” Lydia said. “If that’s alright?”

Lex nodded. “Yea that’s cool with me.” She turned the sketchbook and ran a finger across the cover. “This sketchbook is filled with drawings that matter to me.” She whispered. “I keep it safe so it doesn’t get ruined.”

“Is it in there?” Stiles asked, excited.

Lex nodded.

“What is this thing you keep talking about?” Derek asked.

“Wait is this what I think it is?” Scott asked.

Lex nodded calmly, smiling at him, while Stiles nodded excitedly.

“Yes Stiles it’s in here. Now calm down and I’ll show it to you.”

Stiles was instantly still against her back but she could still feel the energy running beneath the surface. She sighed but opened the book to a page near the middle. In the middle of the page was a Celtic Trinity knot made of an intricate pattern. The circle was a snake eating its own tail and the knot was vines and runes, tying together for protection. In the middle triangle was one more rune, simple looking, but powerful.

Stiles was in awe. “That’s amazing.” He sighed.

Lex smiled as she felt all the nervous energy in her twin fall away as he looked at the design on the paper. “You aren’t eighteen yet.” She reminded him.

“Two months.” Stiles said. “Two months.”

“Dude you’re terrified of needles.” Scott said, laughing. “You fainted when I got mine.”

Stiles shushed him. “Lex’ll do it and it will be painless and wonderful.”

Lex laughed. “Whatever you say boy. Although I’ll have to get someone back at the school to send me a machine. I can’t exactly steal one.”

“Wait is this a tattoo design?” Lydia asked.

Lex, Stiles, and Scott all nodded.

“He asked me to draw it last year.” Lex said. “I told him I’d think about it.”

“It looks powerful.” Derek commented, still looking at the design.

“It is.” Lex answered. “I designed it with my brother in mind and that in and of itself brings power to the drawing. When placed on Stiles it will protect him because that’s what I want it to do. But the design is also powerful. Placed on anyone it’d protect them. All these runes are of power and protection. But I’m the only one with the design. And Stiles is the only one who will ever wear it.”

Stiles grinned. “This is awesome. I can’t wait. Where should I get it?” He pointed the question at Scott who thought for a moment.

“Your back.” Scott answered. “Or your shoulder.”

“I’m doing it on your shoulder.” Lex declared. “That’s where it will work and look best.”

Stiles looked at Lex and then back at Scott. “I’ve decided to get it on my shoulder.”

Scott laughed. “Damn it’s good to have you back Lex. The one person he doesn’t try and argue with at every turn.”

Lex laughed and Stiles stuck his tongue out at Scott.

 “Hey so where does the rest of your pack go?” Lex asked, looking down at Derek. “I’ve hardly seen them all month.”

“Danny, Allison, and I all have summer jobs.” Lydia answered. “I have off today so I’m here but they’re working. Boyd, Erica, Aiden, and Ethan all have to do summer school to make up for missing so much school so they can still be seniors next year and graduate with us. But we’re here when we can be.”

“I’m always here.” Stiles said happily.

“That’s because you have no life.” Isaac answered.

“You’re always here to!” Stiles exclaimed.

“Stiles I live here.” Isaac reminded him.

Stiles glared at him but instead of making him look mad it just made him look adorable. Lex poked his face and giggled.

“You still can’t manage a good glare.”

Stiles sighed but let the glare fall off to look fondly at his sister. “One day I will paralyze you with my glare.”

“That’s actually a thing.” Lex said it dismissively as she looked back at the tattoo design but Stiles latched onto it.

“It is?! Seriously?! Like Medusa?!”

Lex sighed. “Yes but without the snake hair. I mean if you have a curse giving you snake hair then you’ll have snake hair but that’s not a byproduct of Stone Stare.”

“Can you teach it to me?” Stiles asked hopefully. “Or even better show me right now?!”

Lex sighed again, a common thing for her with Stiles has a twin, but smiled. “Maybe later. I think there’s one more drawing here you’ll want to see.”

Stiles sighed but calmed back down, settling against her back again.

Lex closed the book and ran a finger down the front again before opening it and looking over her shoulder at Stiles to see his reaction. Her brother’s jaw dropped and he looked wide eyed at the picture.

“This is Jax.” Lex whispered. “My teacher and a High Fae of the Summer Realm.”

The drawing, that looked almost like a picture such was the care taken to draw it, was of a man with long black hair and piercing gold eyes. His hair on the left side of his face was tucked back behind a pointed ear, framing the long scar running the length of his face. It started at the hairline just to side of his left eyebrow and then dragged down the length of his cheek, ending on the underside of his chin. One side of his mouth was curled up in a smirk that almost said ‘I know something you don’t and I’m not going to tell you what it is’.

“Wow.” Lydia sighed. “He’s hot.”

Lex laughed. “He’s a High Fae. He’s bound to be attractive.”

“I know him.” Stiles whispered. Everyone looked at him.

“Do you remember where he’s from?” Lex asked gently.

“He was in my dreams.” Stiles whispered. “After mom died. The nightmares.”

“Wait the guy that used to haunt your dreams Stiles?” Scott asked. “So that guy’s actually real?”

“Yea.” Lex said. “He’s been connected to us since the day we were born. And when mom died the connection got worse because all of the connection he had with her poured into us.”

“Into you.” Stiles whispered.

Lex nodded, looking a bit sad at the memories it was dragging up of sleepless nights and waking Stiles up screaming or waking up to Stiles screaming. “He didn’t know how strong he was pressing on us. He didn’t mean for it to be that bad.”

“He’s attractive.” Lydia said.

“He would outsmart you Lydia.” Lex said, looking at her. “I know you’re a genius but he’s Fae. He’s ancient and forever. He’s spent his life outsmarting humans. The only person in this pack capable of keeping up with him is me. And that’s only because he’s my teacher and I am a Spark with a very deep connection with him.”

“Deep how?” Stiles asked, going protective brother on Lex.

Lex laughed. “I’m the first Spark from him to be activated in over three hundred years. We’re pretty close.”

“Is he going to come here? Jax I mean.” Stiles asked. “To train me?”

“Yes he’ll be coming here. But not until the Melltigedig is killed. He can’t risk coming near a Cursed One. It could drain him through me if he gets close. But yes. He’ll come here as soon as the threat is eliminated and I determine what activated you. Only then can you begin your training.”

“Why does it matter what activated him?” Lydia asked.

“What kind of magic we specialize in is determined by what activated us.” Lex explained.

“What do you specialize in?” Stiles asked, excited.

“Earth.” Lex said, smiling. “I was activated in the forest.”

“What types are there?” Isaac asked, looking curiously at the sketchbook that was still open in Lex’s lap.

Lex noticed Isaac looking and smiled, reaching for the black sketchbook and handing it to him as she responded. “There’s hundreds of types.” She shrugged. “Earth is an umbrella term for a section of specialties. The other three elements also have their own sections and the fifth section is called Jauna. It’s got all the weird ones in it. The people who were activated by other creatures instead of an element. There was a boy activated by an incubus and a girl activated by a succubus. They both took on the beauty and feral behavior of their activators. They fight well and do what they’re ordered, but they are monsters. Not all of the combinations under Jauna are monsters though. Like one girl who was activated when she was attacked by a feral werewolf and her magic kicked in to save her. She took on the glowing eyes, sharp claws, and superior senses of a wolf as well as the loyalty and kindness shown towards packmates. She’d protect her family with her life.”

“Did you know her?” Derek asked. “You speak as if you do.”

Lex nodded. “She was a good friend at the school. We didn’t have many classes together as the sections are trained differently, but we hung out a lot. She was nice.”

“Was?” Scott whispered.

Lex nodded sadly. “She was killed six months ago during an attack on the school. She died defending a child who couldn’t defend themselves.”

“She served her pack till the end.” Derek said. His voice was flat but they could all tell he knew how it must have felt to be that girl, making the decision to risk her life for the child.

Lex smiled. “Yes. Yes she did.”

They fell into silence and soon they were all looking through the sketchbook Lex had handed to Isaac.

“These are really good.” Isaac sighed in awe, turning to a drawing of a willow tree on the shore of a river.

Lex smiled. “Thank you Isaac. That’s a piece of the land at the school. I used to go there when I needed to be alone. No one else knew about the place. Except Jax of course. He’d usually end up being the one to come and get me when I went out there.”

“I can’t wait to meet this guy.” Stiles declared. “Anyone that can make you smile like that is cool in my books.”

Lex laughed. “It’s not like that Stiles.”

“I don’t care.” Stiles said, looking back at her with the determination only a brother can have. “I can’t wait.”

Lex rolled her eyes but was grinning fondly. It was great to be home.


	7. Lake Day

“WAKE UP!” Stiles screamed, bursting into Lex’s room the next morning. “WE’RE GOING TO THE LAKE!”

“If you do not get off of me in the next ten seconds I will castrate you.” Lex threatened from the blankets. “And I will not let the wolves take your pain.”

Stiles scrambled off and Lex pushed the blankets down, sitting up bleary-eyed with bed head. “What the hell dude?”

Stiles grinned. “Lake day!” He exclaimed.

Lex sighed. “I think I preferred my mornings at school. This is too damn early.”

Stiles laughed. “Get ready! We’re picking Scott up in an hour!” He ran from the room, bouncing along happily.

Lex sighed and dropped herself back onto the mattress. “Fuck.” She yawned. “It’s gonna be a long ass day.”

 

An hour later Lex was asleep in the back of the jeep and Scott was in the front seat on their way to Derek’s.

“This is gonna be awesome.” Stiles gushed.

Scott smirked. “You’re just excited to see Derek shirtless and wet.”

Stiles shot his best friend a glare. “Don’t you dare talk about that. I am warning you right now Scott if my sister finds out about that I will murder you.”

Scott grinned. “Why? All of us know.”

“Yes but my sister could make my life a living hell Scott. She could and would.”

Scott sighed, nodding. “Yea she definitely could. But she could also totally make it happen. Did you see her and Derek? He was practically on her feet yesterday.”

“He was on her feet.” Stiles sighed. “She was complaining last night that her feet her sore from him sitting on them and leaning against her shins all afternoon.”

Scott turned in his seat and looked at Lex behind him. “She’s special. She got Derek to open up in a night. And now they’re friends. What did she do?”

“She said she just made hot chocolate and they talked.” Stiles shrugged. “She’s always had that way with people. Ever since we were little.”

Scott nodded. “I remember.” He chuckled. “She used to make friends with strangers on the streets.”

“Don’t you remember?” Stiles asked. “There’s no such thing as a stranger. Just a friend she hasn’t made yet.”

Scott laughed and Stiles joined in.

“Do you think she and Derek like each other?” Stiles asked after they stopped laughing, his voice small and timid.

Scott looked over at him and saw Stiles staring straight ahead, pretending he didn’t say what he just said. “I think they’re both broken people in need of a strong family and pack to hold them together but no. I don’t think they’ll get together.”

Stiles let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, visibly relaxing. “Okay.”

“Okay what?” Lex mumbled as she sat up in back.

“We both agreed to leave you in the car if you didn’t wake up by the time we got here.” Stiles answered, lying smoothly as they pulled up to Derek’s house.

Lex just rolled her eyes as the three of them clambered from the jeep. “You two are idiots sometimes.”

“I believe you mean always.” Allison called from where the rest of the pack was waiting on the porch.

“You’re late.” Derek said.

“Blame Lex.” Stiles told him. “She wouldn’t get out of bed.”

“Seven in the morning is too bloody early to be awake.” Lex declared, going over and sitting down next to Derek’s legs, leaning against them while they watched the pack help load Stiles’s jeep with their stuff. The humans would be riding through the forest in the jeep while the wolves run alongside. “I hate you Derek. This is all your fault.”

“You mentioned the lake.” Derek reminded her, reaching down and laying a hand on her head. “This is your fault.”

“I’m choosing to blame you instead.” Lex decided.

Derek rolled his eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

“Yea. I’m related to Stiles. What do you expect?”

Derek laughed.

“Oi!” Stiles shouted over. “I heard that!”

“You were supposed to!” Lex raised her head to shout back. She settled back onto Derek and sighed.

“What?” Derek asked.

“This is going to be a long ass day trying to keep up with him.”

Derek laughed again. “Every day is a long ass day trying to keep up with him.”

*

“Lunch!” Derek shouted from the shore.

Everyone cheered excitedly and came running from the water, Stiles and Scott at the front.

“Freeze!” Lex exclaimed as they reached the food.

Both boys immediately froze and looked at her, pleadingly.

“Sit.” She said, pointing at the picnic table.

Stiles and Scott didn’t hesitate in their scramble for the table, the others all crowding around them and sitting as well.

Derek and Lex brought all the food over and took their seats. Everyone passed all the dishes around the table and they laughed when Scott almost dumped the watermelon on Allison.

“You know for a werewolf you’re quite the klutz.” Lex teased.

“Shu’ up.” Scott mumbled, blushing.

They all laughed and Lex dodged the apple core he threw at her. Allison just patted his shoulder and tried to look sympathetic while hiding a grim.

“You’re an ass.” Scott declared.

Lex grinned. “The assyest.”

“And the sassiest?” Stiles asked, smirking.

“Hells yea!” Lex said, high fiving her brother.

“Why’d we allow them to be near each other?” Erica asked.

“Because we’re idiots who didn’t realize the destruction it would cause.” Isaac answered.

“Oh shush up.” Lex smiled.

“We’re not that bad.” Stiles rolled his eyes.

“You pulled up to my house this morning half asleep and having an argument over which of you farts the loudest.” Scott said.

“It’s Stiles.” Lex said.

“No way it is totally you Lex.” Stiles protested.

“Hell no!” Lex answered. “You blast ‘em!”

“Do not!”

“Do fucking to!”

“Both of you fart at a level a human could hear across a football field now shut up!” Scott exclaimed.

Lex and Stiles looked at each other and then back at Scott. The three of them burst out laughing and the rest of the table followed behind.

“It’s clear you three are friends.” Erica smiled.

“Not really actually.” Lex shrugged.

“Lex thought herself too good to hang out with her twin and his bestie.” Stiles teased.

“I just had more friends because _I_ was the social twin.” Lex teased back.

“You were the only competition I had for Queen of the School.” Lydia said, remembering.

Lex smiled. “I’d have won.”

Lydia nodded. “Probably. You had the jocks wrapped your fingers.”

Lex grinned. “I wonder how they’ll take me coming back.”

“They’ll have to split their loyalty.” Erica commented.

“Nah.” Lydia said, smiling. “We’ll rule together.”

“Hell yea.” Lex said, holding out a hand towards Lydia, who high fived her.

“I feel like them meeting was an even worse idea than having Stiles and Lex back together.” Isaac commented.

“Oh definitely.” Stiles agreed. “These two could literally rule the world together.”

Lex and Lydia gave matching grins.

“See?” Stiles said, pointing at them.

“We’re going to regret them meeting.” Derek predicted.

“Every day for the rest of your lives.” Lex answered.

“We’ll make it a living hell.” Lydia added.

“Fuck my life.” Stiles groaned, hitting his head on the table.

“Well I can’t manage that but I’m sure I could find somebody to fuck _you_.” Lex smirked at her twin.

Stiles looked up at her, eyes wide and mouth gaping. “No!”

Lex laughed. “Just thought I’d ask.”

“Wait Stiles you like guys?” Danny asked, looking up from his lunch.

Stiles glared at his sister. “You. Little. Fucker.”

Lex just grinned back and took another bite of her brat.

“Stiles?” Danny asked.

“Yes Danny.” Stiles said, looking at him. “Yes I like guys. I also like girls.”

“Cool.” Ethan said through a mouthful of food.

“Good amount of options.” Aiden commented before quickly amending as Lydia glared at him. “Unless you have someone amazing and awesome already by you and you don’t need any more options.”

Lydia nodded, satisfied, as she tucked back into her lunch.

“When’d you figure that out?” Allison asked.

“While ago.” Stiles shrugged.

“And you didn’t tell us?” Erica asked.

Stiles shrugged again. “We were in the middle of something and it didn’t seem important at the time.”

“And after that?” Danny asked.

Stiles just shrugged yet again.

“Stop shrugging!” Lydia exclaimed.

Stiles smirked and shrugged again. “I’ve never had a boyfriend and only ever really liked girls so it didn’t seem important to me that I could like a guy. I decided that I’d tell you if I ever got a boyfriend.”

“Or until your sister spilled the beans.” Scott said, smirking.

“Yea.” Stiles said, glaring at his sister again. “Unless she opened her big mouth.”

Lex just grinned and took another bite of food.

Stiles glared at her while she chewed and swallowed.

“Oh stop glaring Stiles you don’t actually care.” Lex said, rolling her eyes.

Stiles smiled. “But it’s fun to be mad at you.”

Lex punched her brother in the shoulder.

“Ow!”

“Breakable little bastard.” She muttered. She looked at Derek. “You’re quiet.”

“Trying to understand when my life went to shit.” Derek said. “I’m twenty six and surrounded by high schoolers.”

“By your choice.” Stiles reminded him.

“Exactly.” Derek said. “When did I become such an idiot?”

 

Hours later the pack was still at the beach, gathered around the impromptu fire pit Lex and Derek had built. The pack was sat in pairs around the circle, the couples all together. Isaac and Stiles were shoved together as Lex had sat down next to Derek. None of them had known why at first but soon they all noticed the way Lex was pressed against Derek’s with his arm around her waist. Lex’s body was relaxed and calm and all the wolves could smell the comfort rolling off her but Derek was the opposite. His body was tense and he was staring at the flames as they flickered in the pit. They all knew what was happening. He was remembering the fire. Stiles was the first to mention it.

“You know we’re all safe.” Stiles said, cutting through all the small conversation that had been going on around the circle. Everyone fell silent.

“You don’t have to worry about us Derek.” Stiles continued. “We’re safe.”

“He’s right.” Lex added softly. “I’ve got a shield going around that fire that I put up when we dug the pit. No one will get burned. Especially not you.”

Derek nodded stiffly and shifted his body so he was turned into Lex’s body.

She adjusted herself automatically to accommodate his cuddling and pressed back against him.

“I know we’re all safe.” He whispered, speaking for the first time since they’d all gathered around the fire. “But I can’t help it.”

Lex sighed softly. “Derek I know how you feel. I know how it feels to irrationally fear something. But it’s not going to hurt you and sometimes you just have to let it go. It’s all okay.”

Derek nodded, still not looking away from the flames.

“Derek stop this.” Lex said forcefully. “I know how you feel but you cannot let it control you.”

Derek looked at her. “What are you afraid of?”

Lex didn’t hesitate or even glance at the pack before answering. “Snow.”

“Snow?” Derek asked.

“I was attacked my first winter at the school. The things that happened…well let’s just say that while I used to love the snow I now dread the days when it falls.”

“How do you deal?” Derek asked quietly, staring at her.

She smiled softly. “I use an anchor. At school it was my friends. Now that I’m home it will probably be Stiles.” She saw Stiles grin in the corner of her eye but didn’t stop talking. “I use the people I love as my anchor. They keep me sane and don’t let me fall apart when my triggers are around. And I know this pack will do the same for you. If you let them.”

Derek looked around the clearing as the pack all nodded at him, smiling.

“We’re for you.” Stiles said. “We’re all a bit fucked up anyways. May as well be fucked up together.”

Lex laughed without humor. “Always a way with words Sti.”

Stiles shrugged and Lex looked back at Derek.

“I’ve only known you a few days Derek. But I trust you with my life.”

“As do I.” Stiles said immediately seeing what Lex was doing.

“And me.” Scott said honestly. “You helped me learn control.”

“You gave me a reason to stay alive myself.” Isaac said.

“You helped me stop being invisible.” Erica said.

“You gave me a family.” Boyd said.

“You gave us a place we can belong.” Ethan and Aiden said together.

“You gave me a place where my mind matters more than my body.” Lydia spoke up.

“You accepted me and allowed me to forget my past and my families past.” Allison said. “My family destroyed yours but I trust you every single day not to take your anger out on me.”

Derek looked around at the clearing, finally beginning to truly see how much the pack cares about him. When he finally looked back at Lex he nodded. “I’m okay.”

Lex smiled. “I know.”


	8. Fire and Fear

“Thank you for that.” Derek whispered to Lex. “Earlier I mean. With the fire.”

Lex looked up for where she was tending the fire and smiled at Derek. “Like I said, I know how it feels to have an irrational fear and not wanting to lose control over it.”

Derek nodded. “Still. Thank you.”

Lex nodded and waved a hand to gesture at the pack. They’d broken out the wolfsbane-infused booze not long after Derek relaxed and all the others had gotten drunk and were all passed out by now. “They should be the ones you thank. I just said the words. They hold the feelings.”

“You’re the first one to say it.”

“I’m probably the first one to notice it. None of them had ever seen you before the fire. None of them knew your family. Or you. I knew Cora and I saw you once or twice. I saw the difference and I noticed why. That’s all I did.”

“I miss her.” Derek whispered. “Cora I mean.”

“She’s still alive though. Stiles told me she was here. And well.”

Derek nodded. “She escaped that night. I do not know how, she doesn’t remember.”

“But she’s safe?”

“Yes.” Derek said, smiling. “She stayed with a pack in South America for a long time until she heard I was alive. But she wanted to go back there after the business with the Alpha pack so I took her back.”

“Will you tell her about me? My powers?”

“Unless you don’t want me to.”

“No I think I’d like her to know. It’d probably help her make sense of why we got close so easily.”

“And why’s that?”

“I’m tied to the Earth.” Lex answered, picking up a handful of sand and letting it run between her fingers. “Just like werewolves are. It makes it easy to befriend wolves. But just as easy to make war with them. I’m glad it was friends with Cora. And with you.”

Derek gave a small smile. “How can you stand to be so close to that heat?”

Lex laughed. “Like I said. I don’t like snow. I also don’t like cold. No fire is too hot anymore. As long as I’m not cold, I’m alright.”

Derek nodded, understanding. “Doesn’t it…scare you?”

“No Derek. Fire is not my enemy. It does not scare me. It is your enemy though. We all face our fears in the end. I face the cold each and every winter and you face fire on a beach for a night. Stiles faces his fear. Scott faces his. We all face our enemies and our fears in time. It’s just a matter of when. And a matter of how.” Lex looked back down at the fire and for the first time in Derek’s eyes she actually looked weak. She looked like an eighteen year old girl who has already lost family and friends to death and knows how to face it. She looked like Cora.

Derek’s breath caught in his throat and Lex swung to look up at him.

“What?” She asked, immediately worried.

Derek shook his head, swallowing to try and get rid of the lump in his throat.

“Derek? What’s wrong?” Lex scrambled towards him and grabbed his hands where they were white-knuckled together in front of him.

“You looked like Cora.” He choked out. “When you looked at the fire.”

“You mean I looked broken like your sister looked when she didn’t think you were watching her.”

Derek nodded, words gone again.

Lex smiled. “Derek I know I’m broken. And I was your sister’s friend for years. We shared many habits and mannerisms. It’s not surprising I’d remind you of her every once and I while. And I understand how that hurts you. At the school there was a teacher who reminded me of my mother. Every time I spoke to her I remembered my mother. And she knew that. She would come and find me on Mother’s day, my mother’s birthday, Christmas, every holiday she would come and find me. She would even come on the day of my mother’s death. And she would simply hold me. Let me cry. She knew how much those days hurt me and she knew that I needed someone there with me. She helped. I cried every night for almost a month after she died. And then at least three times a week for another year. I was eight and I lost my mother and my best friend. Stiles didn’t know what to do. He was dealing with his loss and Dad was drinking and our family was a mess for so long after that. I still cry sometimes, thinking about that time. I now know your sister survived and that she is okay but I still feel the loss of her every day. I wonder how my life would be different if that fire hadn’t happened but I know that there is no changing it. I accepted that I will always be broken. I won’t let my rough edges cut anyone I care about anymore.”

Derek was staring at her in awe, tears in his own eyes as he saw them in hers. “Not many people know what it’s like.”

“But most of the people sitting here, on this beach, do. Stiles and I lost our mother. Isaac lost his mother, his brother, and yes losing his abusive father still would’ve hurt. Allison saw her own mother killed by their family values. Scott’s father is an asshole who has no idea what it’s like to love a son. Boyd’s family doesn’t even notice he’s gone half the time he’s with you and this pack. And Erica’s family cares even less. Lydia’s parents try but they don’t know how to care for their daughter they stopped so long ago. Aiden and Ethan well they had one of the worst childhood’s ever. Danny’s the only one here with a normal family and he fears for their lives every single day he’s with us because of the bad luck that follows us all. Derek you’ve lost a lot, but we know how it feels. Trust me. We know.”

Derek nodded and looked back at the fire. “I can’t.”

“Can’t what?”

“Think.” Derek answered. “Feel. Speak. I can’t do anything right anymore.”

Lex smiled softly and rubbed his hands, leaning in to set her head on his knee. “You don’t have to speak Derek. And not feeling is sometimes an advantage. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to feel.”

“It’s an empty feeling I wouldn’t wish upon anyone.”

“Empty is a feeling Derek.”

Derek chuckled. “Yes I suppose it is.”

“When you feel empty, talk to me.” Lex said it as a statement but Derek knew it was a question.

“Why?”

“Because talking makes the empty just a little bit smaller.”

Derek thought about it before nodding slowly. “I suppose you might be right.”

Lex laughed. “I’m always at least a little bit right.”

Derek laughed. “I’ve always wondered something.”

“What’s that?”

“What’s Stiles’s real name?”

Lex laughed. “You’d never be able to pronounce it.”

“I want to try. At least once. Preferably not when he’s awake or around.” Derek’s voice trailed off and he looked up.

Lex stopped laughing and sat up straight. In the school you learn to trust the ears of a wolf. “What is it?”

“I hear something.” Derek whispered, all teasing and laughter gone from his voice.

“What?” Lex insisted.

“Breathing. Another heartbeat. Someone’s here. Someone who smells…wrong.”

Lex stiffened. “Wake the others. Now.”

Derek didn’t hesitate, just looked at the pack around the circle and growled, flashing his eyes. All the wolves were awake in an instant, completely sobered by their alpha’s power. Stiles woke up groggy and still drunk, but he was awake as well.

“What’s happening?” Scott demanded.

“Listen.” Derek ordered.

They were all silent, all of them hearing the extra breaths. The extra heartbeat.

“What’s that smell?” Isaac asked.

“The smell of a dying man.” Lex answered. “He’s here. The Melltigedig. He’s come for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I'd love to hear what you think of this! It seems like forever since I got any reactions from you guys!


	9. A Twin Lost

“Scott and Allison you will stay and protect Stiles.” Derek ordered.

“I don’t need protecting!” Stiles exclaimed. He wasn’t sobered by Derek’s magic growl though so it came out a little slurred.

“Stiles you will stay right here and not move.” Lex said. “I cannot be worrying about you right now. I have to worry enough about myself and your pack so for the love of the family we’ve lost, stay here. Don’t make me lose another part of my family.”

“I need to be at your side.” Scott said, staring at Lex. “You’re Stiles’s twin you’re basically him and I won’t let you go without me.”

Lex looked at Derek who looked back just as hard. Then she sighed and looked at Scott. “Fine. Scott will come and Isaac will stay to protect my brother.”

“I don’t need protecting!” Stiles protested.

“But I do!” Lex screamed, rounding on him. “You are all I have left Stiles! You and dad! If one of you dies I will lose it! Do you understand?! I’m not doing this because I want you safe I’m doing it because I _need_ you safe!”

Stiles was staring at his sister in shock but nodded. “I’ll stay.”

“Thank you.” Lex said. Then she looked at the others. “Stay close and don’t lose sight of me. Once we get him in our sights don’t lose him either.”

The wolves all nodded, shifting with ease.

“Stay near me.” Ethan whispered to Danny. It was going to be the new wolf’s first fight against a big bad.

“Maybe Danny should stay here.” Stiles suggested. “He hasn't perfected his control yet.”

“I need him with me.” Lex answered. “He’s going to have enough power on me as it is. I’m already almost drained.”

“You said you had two weeks!” Stiles squawked.

Lex looked at him sadly. “He’s draining me faster than I ever thought possible. It’s a good thing he came tonight. The new moon in a few days would be my last night.”

“Let’s go.” Derek growled. He was already into his beta form, watching Lex carefully.

Lex looked back at him and once again there was a silent conversation no one else understood before each of them nodded at the other.

Lex looked at Stiles and smiled. “Don’t worry about me Stiles. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Stiles nodded at his sister, giving what hoped to be an encouraging smile but what actually looked like a grimace. He didn’t like watching the pack go off to fight without him.

“I’ll bring her back. I promise.” Derek whispered to him, eyes honest. He nodded to Derek, knowing Derek would try his best to keep her safe but Derek has never been the best at keeping people safe.

He watched in silence as Lex and Derek turned away and led the pack into the forest.

“They’ll come back.” Allison said, sitting down next to him since Isaac had vacated that seat when Derek growled them all awake. “They always do.”

Stiles looked at her. “It’s not them I’m worried about. Lex is weak. I can see it in the way she moves and speaks. She’s acting like mom did before she told us about her being sick. Careful, slow, deliberate. Every move is thought out and carried out with precision and the last time someone I love acted like that she died within a couple of weeks. I can’t go through that again.”

Allison was silent. She had no idea what to say. But Isaac did.

“I know what you mean.” The wolf said from the fire pit as he built the fire back up.

“How?” Stiles asked.

“My mom died from cancer when I was seven. She walked and talked like that. As if any second could be the second I lost her. It took her at least a minute to go up the stairs and twice as long coming back down. I was terrified of losing her and then when we did, everything fell apart. I can’t say I see that in Lex’s walk and talk but I just met her so I can’t expect myself to see that all as well as you. But I will say that for what I have seen of her, if she is dying, she won’t go down without a fight. She will fight anything inside her body or out to survive. Because she doesn’t want to leave you. You said she came back because she missed you. So she’s not gonna willing leave you again so soon after coming back. I don’t know her but I’m pretty damn sure I know that.”

Stiles looked at Isaac in awe. “Whoa dude. That was deep.”

Isaac and Allison laughed.

“Thanks Stiles.” Isaac said, grinning.

Stiles grinned at him. “Thanks guys. I feel a bit better now.”

“Good.” Lydia said, from where she was still leaning against a log. “Then all of you can shut up so I can go back to sleep.”

Stiles smiled at the red head. “Sorry Lyds.”

Allison handed him a crossbow. “Shoot anything that comes towards us that isn’t pack.”

Stiles nodded and loaded it out of habit. He’d been getting trained by his dad, Chris, Allison, and Derek to defend himself and he could shoot a crossbow well enough to protect himself now. He’d be safe. It was the others he was worried about.

 

Derek and Lex stopped as they both heard the heartbeat they were following getting closer, and fast. They nodded at each other quickly and then dove apart as the Melltigedig launched itself towards them. It twisted midair and landed in the center of the circle the pack quickly made around him. The description Lex had given was an understatement.

The creature in front of them was not human. It did not look even remotely human. It’s skin was pale white, the cool of the moon, but it wasn’t smooth like the Darach’s had been. There were pits and scars and gouges in the surface. A chunk was missing from his right thigh and another from his left shoulder. His face was a mess of scar tissue, with the eyes torn out and the nose that looked like it had been ripped off. The only thing left was the mouth that looked as though someone had sewn it shut at some point before the mouth was ripped open, leaving the strings hanging from the creature’s lips in bloody tatters. Its teeth were not human. They were fangs. Every single tooth was a blade that glistened with saliva. The creature was wearing black sweatpants on its lower half that looked like they’d been dragged through a shredder the way they hung in tatters. There was nothing covering the scarred, pale skin of its torso. It did not look human in any way except its shape. And the stark, black mark on the top of its head marked him as formerly human, and now a monster.

“You are a creature of death and destruction.” Lex said, her voice wavering a bit as she looked at him. “You are a creature of darkness. The product of a curse. Tonight you will die.”

The Melltigedig snarled and the betas around the circle flinched at the power he was giving off. “You cannot kill me.”

Lex nodded. “I cannot. That is true. But they can.”

At her words the pack surged forward, ready to protect their newest pack member. The wolves fought well together. Derek has trained them well to fight with each other instead of by themselves. The Melltigedig was fast, very fast, and super strong, throwing pack members into trees and each other, but soon enough Scott and Derek had him pinned.

“You can’t do this.” He snarled. “You can’t take your power back.”

Lex walked forward and stood in front of him. “I can and I will. You will not take my life from me.”

“You don’t deserve this life!” He screamed.

“And neither do you.” Lex said. “I know I don’t deserve life. I have done horrible things in my life but I am not a monster. I did those things to protect my friends and my family from people who wanted to kill them. People like you.”

“I’m protecting humanity!” He snarled, trying to lunge towards her but being held back by the wolves.

“You’re protecting yourself.” Lex said. She looked at Derek. “Do it?”

“Are you ready?” He asked.

Lex nodded, staring the Melltigedig down. “Kill him.”

Derek immediately reached around and tore his throat out, the body dropping to the ground.

And Lex, as she felt the power rush from him back into her, filled with corruption and hate anger, opened her mouth and let out a scream to rival Lydia’s best.

 

Stiles shot to his feet as he heard a scream and went to run for the trees before Isaac caught him and held him back.

“Let me go!” Stiles screamed.

“No!” Isaac shouted. “You can’t!”

“That’s my sister! My _sister_!”

Allison hurried to stand in front of him. “Stiles stop. You can’t go after them!”

“I have to!” Stiles screamed.

Lydia appeared in front of him and then his cheek started stinging. It took him a moment before he realized she’d just slapped him.

“Don’t you dare.” Lydia growled. “You will stay right here where they left us and we will wait for them to come back together. Derek will keep her safe. I know he will. _You_ know he will. So calm the fuck down Stiles.”

Stiles stared at her in shock and then nodded slowly. Isaac let Stiles go and he fell into Lydia’s arms. She wrapped her arms around him and hummed comfortingly as she rubbed his back.

“They’ll come back.” Lydia whispered. “Just be calm.”

Stiles didn’t respond, just pressed his face into her shoulder. He loves Allison and Isaac but sometimes he just needs Lydia’s no shit attitude to make him see sense.

“No.” He heard Allison whisper, horror in her voice.

His head shot up and he looked over Lydia’s shoulder at the tree line, where the pack was walking out. Covered in blood. And missing Lex. Stiles could hear someone screaming Lex’s name in a loud, broken, pain-filled voice and it took him a moment to realize it was him. He was watching them walking towards him and he could see tears on Scott and Derek's faces and he wouldn’t, _couldn’t_ , believe that she was gone. That his sister wasn’t going to be walking out of that forest with them. Scott ran towards him and together him and Lydia helped Stiles to the ground so he didn’t fall but as Stiles curled into Scott and sobbed he only had eyes for the tree line, hoping and praying and wishing and _believing_ with all his might that his sister would walk back out and hurry to his side to calm him down like she always did after their mom died.

“I’m sorry.” Derek whispered, tears on his face as he watched Stiles break.

In an instant Stiles broke. He stopped crying and jumped to his feet, spinning towards Derek. “You’re _SORRY_?! Sorry isn’t going to give me my sister! Sorry isn’t going to give me my family back! You fucking promised to bring her back to me! YOU FUCKING PROMISED! And now what?! You expect me to fucking forgive you! For losing my sister! Well fuck that Derek I’m never forgiving you! Never!” With the final word he screamed it was as if his strings were cut and he fell back to the ground in a heap, sobbing for his twin. A twin who would never come home.


	10. Confrontation

“You owe me some answers!” Derek roared, slamming his fist into a tree. “Come out here and answer me!”

“Do not order me Derek.” Lex warned, stepping from the trees. “You do not have the power to order me.”

“He hates me.” Derek growled at her, eyes flashing. “You told me he would forgive me.”

“And he will.” Lex said, smiling coldly. “I never said how long that would take.”

“You owe me answers.” Derek demanded.

“Fine. Ask away little wolf.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Lex snorted. “I’m dead. Tends to screw with emotions.”

Derek shook his head. “No. Tell me the truth.”

Lex gave him a calculating look and then her face softened. “I’m trying to soften the blow.”

“The blow?”

“I have to go. I need to be somewhere anchored and solid to figure my magic out.”

“And that’s a blow?”

Lex shrugged. “I feel like we’ve been friends and I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“So you decided to make me push Stiles away from me and then leave?”

Lex nodded. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. Although I suppose a lot of things seem like good ideas until you try them and then you’re like hmmmm maybe not.”

“You still owe me answers either way.”

“Alright. Sit and I’ll answer what I can.” Lex said, gesturing at a log nearby.

Derek nodded and sat down with a sigh. “Well start with what the hell’s happening right now.”

Lex chuckled. “Well my brother’s in mourning with the pack because as far as anyone other than you knows I’m dead. And that’s the way it’s staying. I have to go somewhere Stiles can’t follow me and if he knows I’m alive, he’ll follow. He always has. So he has to think he can’t follow.”

“Where are you going?”

“Somewhere safe. My magic’s in turmoil right now. What that _thing_ had is all twisted and dark. I’ll never be able to control it unless I go somewhere and calm it all down.”

“How long will you be gone?” Derek asked.

She shrugged. “Until it’s all okay again.”

“And then?”

“Then I’ll come back with Jax’s help. He’ll save me and I’ll have to pretend not to be human anymore but that’ll be easy enough with Jax’s help.” Lex sighed and leaned against a tree, looking at Derek. “I honestly don’t know. I can’t just tell him I faked my own death that’d destroy him. He’d lose any trust he ever had in me and everything would be ruined.”

‘Ruined?” Derek scoffed. “He’s your family he’d never give you up. Not in a million years would he abandon his family like that.”

“And you’d know this?”

“Yea I would. I may not be close to him but he’s loyal to the people he cares about. His dad. You. The pack. He protects and forgives those he cares about.”

“He’s never been betrayed like this.”

“You’re not betraying him.” Derek declared. “You’re just escaping for a bit.”

Lex scoffed now. “Derek you don’t know my brother. I do. This is as good as betraying him.”

“No it isn’t.” Derek insisted gently. “You’re not betraying him. You’re taking time that you need in order to make sure you’re okay and safe to be around him. That’s not betraying him that’s keeping him safe.”

Lex smiled. “Well Derek I’m glad you see it that way.”

“Why’s that?” Derek asked, smiling back.

Lex’s smile turned cold again. “Because I’m sick of you.” Lex raised her hand and swung it. A branch from the forest next to Derek flew out and hit him right in the head, knocking him out and onto the forest floor. Lex sighed and walked over to press a bare foot to his throat. “I hated you so much. Probably even more than you hated yourself.” She pressed her foot down, smirking at the sound he made as his airway closed partway from the pressure. “At least I won’t have to keep that good awful spell running anymore. No need for you to care about me now that you know me. And by god I’m glad to be done pretending I can actually put up with that fucking awful wet dog smell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts!


	11. Getting Up

“Stiles you need to get up.” His dad said from the doorway.

“I am never getting up.” Stiles growled. He was lying on his bed, on top of the covers, staring at a picture frame leaned up against the wall. Inside was a picture of him, Scott, Lex, her on Stiles’s back and all three of them laughing. Dangling from Stiles’s and Scott’s hands were a pair of stuffed animals, Stiles had a wolf and Scott had a lion.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Scott said from behind the Sheriff.

“That doesn’t make it hurt less.”

John looked at Scott, desperation in his eyes. “I don’t know what to do.” He whispered so only the wolf could hear.

“Let me.” Scott said, giving the Sheriff’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before slipping past him into the room. He shut the door behind him and heard John go back downstairs before he moved forward to sit in Stiles’s computer chair. “I remember that day you know.” He finally said after a long silence. “When that picture was taken.”

“It was one of the last times I had with her. One of the last normal times.” Stiles whispered.

Scott nodded. “I can’t remember who took that picture though.”

“My dad.” Stiles whispered. “It was right after the fair. She’d won you and I each a stuffed animal on the game where you knock the bottles. I got a wolf because she said with my klutziness I needed more protection. You got a lion because she said you needed more courage.”

Scott chuckled. “You were so offended by your sister saying you needed protection.”

Stiles didn’t laugh but Scott hoped he smiled a bit.

“She was teasing me about it and I told her to suck my dick.”

Scott laughed. “She about choked you to death.”

“Dad was laughing at us.” Stiles said. Scott was happy to hear a smile in his friends voice now. “He said we looked like idiots.”

“My mom thought it was funny.” Scott whispered.

“They made us take the picture to make up.” Stiles remembered. He turned onto his back and looked up at his ceiling.

“You told them you weren’t going near her and she jumped on your back.”

“And then you farted.” Stiles said.

Scott laughed, wiping away one last tear. “And then I farted. You and Lex didn’t let me live that down for days.”

“Weeks.” Stiles whispered.

“Weeks.” Scott agreed.

Stiles sighed and rolled back to his side, curling around the wolf. “It only took an five minutes of laughing before I’d forgiven her. I could never stay mad at her.”

“You always tried though.”

Stiles chuckled. “Yea. I did and so did she. But we were never mad for long.”

“You two weren’t meant to be mad at each other.” Scott said. “You were meant to make each other smile and laugh and have fun.”

“I’m not having anymore.” Stiles whispered, sounding a bit angry.

“None of us are.” Scott said. “And none of us ever will unless we do what she would’ve wanted and let go. You don’t have to forget her Stiles. In fact don’t _ever_ forget her. She was one of the most gentle people in our lives and probably the reason you and I got so close. She was one of the best things to ever happen to us. To me. To _you_.”

Stiles nodded. “I loved her.”

“And she wouldn’t want you to be locked away in our room, crying about her. You know that.”

Stiles didn’t answer, but his heartbeat hitched a bit.

“Stiles you know she wouldn’t want you to cry over her.”

“Only because he wouldn’t see herself being worth it.” Stiles whispered. “And she’s worth it. To me she’s worth it.”

“And she is to me.” Scott said, his small tears starting up again. “She will always be important enough to cry about. But that’s not what she’d want.”

“And what would you have me do?” Stiles spat.

“Get up.” Scott said. “Stop crying. Go outside. Go to the forest. She always loved it there.”

“And do what exactly?” Stiles sneered. “Pretend everything’s okay? Pretend my insides aren’t crawling with pain and loss because someone I have literally known since _I was conceived_ is dead? Because I can’t do that Scott. No way in _hell_ can I do that. She was my twin. The better half. And now she’s gone.”

Scott bit his bottom lip, holding back tears. “Stiles.” He said gently. “Tell me right now what would you want Lex to do if your places were switched?”

Stiles thought about it and then spoke quietly. “I’d want her to remember me by pranking people and laughing. Not crying. I would never want her to cry over me.”

“Exactly.” Scott whispered. “And she would not want you crying over her. You’re her brother Stiles. Her twin. If she can’t be around to wreak havoc on this town, well then who will?”

Stiles rolled over onto his back and looked at Scott. “I’m not going to stop crying. Stop trying.”

“Never.” Scott answered. “Because you are my best friend and practically my brother. Because while I was never close to her, we both loved you. We talked once and we both agreed that between the three of us, you deserved to live the most. Because we made each other a promise when she came home. We lead a dangerous life Stiles but we both swore to protect you as well as we can. And we promised that when one of us died, the other would never leave you. Because I made your sister a promise to keep you from feeling bad. She chose it Stiles. She knew she wouldn’t survive into adulthood. Most of us won’t. Erica and Boyd already died once. Allison and Aiden nearly died with the Nogitsune. We’ve all looked death in the eye and asked him to leave us behind. And I know she did the same but Death said she wasn’t getting away. Not today. And now we’ll mourn for her and remember her forever but eventually, we will stop crying. We will hug the stuffed animals to our chests. We will tear up every time we smell her perfume or see something to remind us of her. But we will go on. We will pick up the pieces, hold each other together, and carry on.”

Stiles smirked. “Allison gave you that speech, didn’t she?”

“I spent yesterday sobbing in bed.” Scott admitted. “She and Lydia came over and yelled at me for pitying myself for losing Lex when my best friend lost his twin and I wasn’t there to help him when he needed me.”

“Knew there was a reason to love them.” Stiles whispered.

“Stiles you are my oldest and best friend. You are my brother. I was at your side for your mom and I’m at your side now. For as long as you need me.”


	12. Lex

Derek slipped into consciousness slowly. First he listened to all that was around him. He could hear a slow, slightly weak heartbeat to his right with matched weak breathing, there were pipes working above him and there was a drip in the corner, but he didn’t hear anyone other than the weak heartbeat on his right.

“I know you’re awake.” He heard whispered. “I heard your heartbeat change.”

He growled as he recognized the voice.

“Don’t you dare be pissed at me you big mangy idiotic mutt.” Lex growled back at him. “How long have you known me?”

“A month.” Derek growled. “A whole fucking month. I fucking trusted you and you did this!”

“No I didn’t.” She snarled. “I’ve been chained to this bed for over three months. I haven’t seen my brother or my hometown in three years.”

Derek’s anger vanished, not hearing a lie in that heartbeat, a heartbeat much too weak to fake anything. “What?” He whispered, prying his eyes open to try and see her. His vision was cloudy and didn’t clear much but he could vaguely see a shape on a bed-like shape off to his right on the other side of the room they were in.

“You won’t be able to see much right now. Your eyes were pretty badly injured last night. They’ll take a bit to heal.”

“What happened?” Derek asked, not liking the fear in his voice.

“She likes to hurt you.” Lex whispered.

“She?”

“That’d be me!” There was Lex’s voice along with another heartbeat entering the room but the voice was happy. “Nice to see you’re finally awake wolfy. It’s much more fun when you scream.”

“What are you?” Derek growled.

Lex-that-wasn’t-Lex laughed. “Darling I’m the Melltigedig!”

Derek’s mind was reeling. He killed the Melltigedig. He felt its blood on his hands as he ripped it’s throat out.

The thing laughed again. “Don’t worry. I’m sure my little pet there will explain everything to you. She knows what happens if she tells you too much though.”

“Oh fuck off bitch.” Lex snarled. It should have been really weird to hear someone threatening themselves but in the grand scheme of Derek’s life, it wasn’t that weird.

“Now, now little Spark you know what happens if you misbehave.” The Melltigedig said in a fake sweet voice.

Derek could hear Lex growling but she held back. What was her punishment that it was holding her back that well? Anyone related to Stiles had to have something big over their head to hold their tongue.

“Good girl. Now I have to go so why don’t you explain the rules to our little wolf. He won’t be leaving us for a very long time. I hope.” The Melltigedig swept from the room and as soon as the door was shut the heartbeat vanished.

“The room’s soundproof.” Lex whispered, answering Derek’s unspoken question. “How’s your eye?”

Derek blinked. “A little better. What’s your punishment?”

“Why?”

“Because if you’re who you say you are which I’m not sure you are, then you’re related to Stiles, and just like him, you’d need something big to hold your tongue.”

Lex chuckled weakly. “Stiles. I hold my tongue for my brother.”

“By doing what?”

“Keeping you whole. That’s rule one. Don’t talk back. She doesn’t like that. At first she tortured me but now it’s you. And she-she likes it. The blood. The pain. She feeds off it.”

“Tell me the story. What happened to you? Why are you here? How is that thing ruling over you?”

“Well first off, that story she told you about how the Melltigedig was created, was pretty much crap. She wasn’t created three years ago when I was a freshmen I’d be dead if she was. She’s six months old. The rest was true. I made a rookie mistake and it ended up with a curse being brought to life and now I fucking deal with that. I created that monster and I started running from it. Three months ago it caught up to me and over powered me. I’ve been locked up in this place since while she drained my power and created the illusion she wears now.”

“Why didn’t she kill you?” Derek asked. He was unsure if ‘she’ was the right pronoun seeing as it was a man, then it became something unhuman and now it took the shape of a girl. But he decided fuck it she it is.

“Because I’m useful.” Lex spat. “While I’m still alive and as weak as I am she can tap into my memories. That’s how she knew what to say with Stiles, make him think everything was okay. And then she ‘killed’ the Melltigedig and ‘died’ she fed of my brother’s pain. That’s how she survives. My pain. My brother’s pain. Recently it’s been your pain.”

“How long have I been here?”

“A week.”

Derek gasped. “The pack.”

“From what I know they’re safe.”

“From what you know?”

“She likes to make me watch through her eyes and ears as she interacts with the pack. First it was actual interactions with the pack. Now it’s just glimpses as she watches them mourn for me and worry about you and they’re safe, but they’re not okay.”

Derek nodded, his vision clouding again and he didn’t know by what until he blinked and felt something run down his cheek. He was crying. He tried to reach up and wipe it away but for the first time realized he was chained to the bed he was on as well.

“Don’t bother try to break them.” Lex told him. “All you’ll do is hurt yourself. They’re magic. They won’t open but with the key. Which she keeps around her neck at all times.”

“You said my pain. If I’ve been asleep for a week, how have I been in pain?” Derek demanded. “She didn’t hit me that hard.”

“Haven’t you pieced it together?” Lex asked, sounding a little shocked. “I told you your eyes were injured last night. I told you I bite my tongue for my brother. To keep you safe. And she’s been feeding on your pain. I told you she likes it. The blood. And she told you, it’s more fun for her when you scream. What do you think she’s been doing?”

Derek had to swallow back bile in his mouth. “She’s been-?”

“Yea.” Lex answered. “Trust me I had it worse.”

“How is not being cut open while you sleep worse than that happening to you?”

“Because I was awake.” Lex answered, her voice soft. “I was awake and listening. She made me listen. She made me _feel_. She forced the connection open and stuffed the feeling of your blood down my throat and I couldn’t do anything. You mean something to my brother, I don’t know what but you do, and I couldn’t help you. I was _useless_. That’s a thousand times worse than being unconscious when she cuts into you.”

“She did it to you.” Derek whispered, recognizing the pain in her voice as someone who knew exactly what the feeling of being cut felt like.

“How else do you think she sapped my strength bit by bit until I was barely alive? The only reason she stopped hurting me is because she can’t risk me dying yet. While I live, she can take my shape. She can take my memories, my voice, my face, anything and everything that makes me who I am, except for one thing, and she can steal it. But only while I’m still alive. Once there’s no use for me I suppose I’ll die. I just hope I’m saved before then.”

Derek was silent for a moment, blinking away more tears before looking back over. He could see better now and he could see something different in her eyes.

“What’s wrong with your eyes?”

Lex laughed. “Nothing’s wrong. It’s just the one thing she can’t create with an illusion.”

“And what’s that?”

“The eyes of a Spark.” Lex answered, letting her head flop to the side to look at him. “The only part of me that she can’t copy.”

Derek was shocked as his eyes finally focused and he could see. Her eyes were unlike ones he’d ever seen. They must’ve been brown, the same amber color as Stiles’s, before but now there was a bright silver burst exploding from the pupil, mixing in with the amber.

“They’re gorgeous.” Derek whispered.

Lex chuckled. “They mark me as a monster in most circles.”

“Why?”

““Did you know that when a Spark, or any kind of mage, begins their training, their eyes change color?”

Derek tried to shake his head but it made him dizzy so he answered verbally. “No I didn’t know that.”

“Well then you also probably don’t know that the color our eyes turn depends on what activated us.”

“I thought the forest activated you.”

“What did she say? I can’t recall exactly.”

“She said she was, well you were I guess, activated in the forest.”

Lex nodded. “I was. What else?”

“You fall under the Earth category.”

Lex laughed. “Yes I enjoy the element of Earth. And I was in the forest when I was activated by a creature of the Earth.”

“A creature?”

“Yes. I know she told you that sometimes happens.”

Derek nodded slowly. “What activated you then?”

Lex smiled at him. It reminded Derek so much of Stiles’s smile. “Think Derek. Think about what you’ve seen and heard. Think about the things you’ve done.”

Derek thought hard for a long, silent moment, and then shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Lex sighed. “Think later then. Ask another question.”

“What did she do to me?”

“When?”

“At the beginning. I never trust anyone that fast.”

Lex chuckled. “I see why Stiles likes you.” Then she sighed. “She used magic on you.”

“The hot chocolate.”

Lex nodded. “I did use to make that for your sister though.” She smiled as if remembering. “She loved it. It’s probably ruined now with the memory of that awful spell in it.”

“What did the spell do?” Derek asked, hesitant to know.

“Made you more trusting. Open.”

“It was a love potion, wasn’t it?” Derek asked, seeing the meaning behind Lex’s words.

Lex sighed. “I believe so yes.”

Derek didn’t know what to say to that. For a month he’d thought of someone as a friend only to find out that not only was the person he thought was his friend not actually a person but a monster taking the shape of someone else but he was under a spell to make him fall in love with them.

“Why didn’t it work?” He demanded. “I never loved her. Only saw her as a friend.”

“The spell cannot create something where there is already something.” Lex answered.

Derek was confused for only a moment before it made sense. It couldn’t work on him because he was already in love. With someone else.

“Because of that,” Lex said, seeing Derek understood. “The potion could only create an intense friendship. Not exactly what she wanted, but she got what she needed nonetheless.

“What did she want?” Derek asked, thinking that he might regret asking.

“To know what you are scared of.” Lex answered. Yup, Derek didn’t want to know. “She wanted you to love her because she thought that that feeling would open you open the best, but the intense friendship and trust she bespelled you into having was good enough. That night on the beach when you revealed your greatest fear, was enough. She created an illusion to come and ‘attack’ you so that she could vanish from the pack. And before you ask, yes she will use those fears, the memories you shared with her, anything you told her she will use against you.”

“What happens now?” Derek finally decided to ask after a long silence while that sank in.

“We hope and pray not to die while she lures our pack in and kills them all to steal their power.”

“That’s what she wants?”

“Yes. She kills people for power. She’s already killed at least a dozen people and with my power and Stiles’s power inside her she’d be unstoppable. The power of twin Sparks is immense and very, very rare. Twin Sparks almost never survive to both being activated, let alone trained. She can’t get him.”

“So what the hell are we supposed to do to help them?”

“Not die.” Lex answered.

“What about your teacher? Jax. Couldn’t he help?”

Lex sighed. “He could. But he can’t.”

“Why not?” Derek demanded. “She made him out as some all-powerful being why can’t he help?”

“He is all-powerful but he is also bound to a thousand more rules than you or I. He can’t do anything against her. His student was the one who created her and I have to be the one to deal with her. He’s bound by his rules not to help me. And he won’t break his rules.”

Derek nodded, accepting that. “So what do you expect us to do?”

“Not die.” Lex said. Derek was beginning to get annoyed by that the more she repeated it.

“How are we supposed to do that when there’s a psychopath in charge of us?!”

Lex sighed. “When she hurts you, scream. Don’t hold back. The more fun she has the quicker she’s done.”

“What did she do to you?” Derek asked quietly, thinking as he said it that he would probably regret asking.

“Ask me again later. After my brother frees us. Because I know he will. He never let me down growing up. And he won’t now.”

“He doesn’t know you’re alive.” Derek reminded her gently.

Lex turned her head and glared at him. “He’ll come. He has to. I won’t last much longer.”


	13. Searching

Stiles walked into the Hale house living room, extremely worried. Derek had vanished in the forest a week ago and they still had no way of finding him. They didn’t know at first that he was truly gone at first, everyone just thought he pulled one of his vanishing acts again, but he’s always called before three days passed. And it’s been a week.

“Anything?” He asked the wolves sitting there. Since Derek had vanished Stiles had pulled himself together about his sister. It’s only been two weeks since her death and he still cries himself to sleep at night but right now the pack needed him and that was enough for him. He was acting as a leader until they got Derek back. None of them wanted to lose the one wolf among them who knows how to deal with all the wolf stuff.

Scott held up a piece of cloth that obviously used to be a Henley although now it was clawed and bloody.

“It’s all we found.” Scott whispered.

Stiles hurried over and took the shredded shirt, feeling the claw marks in the cloth. “Couldn’t it be from one of the other times we’ve fought for our lives?”

“No. It’s fresher.” Isaac said. “Around a week.”

“When he vanished.” Stiles whispered.

Isaac nodded. “Yes.”

Stiles took a deep breath and thought for a moment before looking at Ethan, the best tracker. “Could you track it?”

He shook his head. “No. The trail vanished not ten feet from that shirt. And it was weak to begin with. The age of it makes it impossible.”

Stiles nodded. “Then we must find another way to track him. We need to find him. We are not losing two people in one month. Not while I’m still breathing.”

“I may know something to help.” Lydia said.

Everyone looked at her.

“What?” Stiles asked.

“A spell in a book Derek got me. It’s in Archaic Latin so it will take me a bit to translate completely but I remember when I was glancing through seeing something about a tracking spell.”

Everyone looked at each other.

“Get the book.” Stiles said. “And tell us what you need.”

Lydia nodded and jumped to her feet, hurrying out of the house. Aiden hurried after her. Ever since Derek vanished none of them have gone anywhere alone. They don’t want anyone else taken.

Stiles looked at the other wolves. “Boyd and Ethan go run perimeter.” He ordered. “Scott and Isaac call my dad and Melissa. Let them know what’s happening. Allison do the same for your dad. Erica could you go into the kitchen and make that amazing food you made last month for the full moon? We’re going to need it.”

Everyone nodded and ran to do their jobs but Scott stopped to put his hand on Stiles’s shoulder.

“We’ll find him.” Scott whispered. “We will.”

Stiles nodded. “We have to.”

Scott gave his friend a tense smile and squeezed his shoulder before letting go and leaving the room. Stiles was soon alone in the room and he collapsed into a chair. He dropped his head into his hands and fought back the tears that had been threatening to overrule him all week. First his sister died and he didn’t get to say goodbye and now Derek, someone he’d hated for burying her before he could see her no matter how bad she looked as Derek said she fell apart, has vanished and he can’t stop worrying about him. He’d never known how much that goddamn sourwolf meant to him until he was danger. All he wants is to have his family and his pack back together and healthy and _safe_. He hasn’t felt safe in so long. There’s always a threat on the horizon. Alpha Packs, Darkness, Open Doors, Jaguars, Fairies, Melltigedigs. How long will it be before the pack is finally safe?

“Dad’s on his way.” Allison said, walking back in. She stopped when she spotted him as he scrambled to not look like he was falling apart. “You okay?”

He looked at her, eyes wide and vulnerable and he was frozen for a moment before quickly shaking his head and putting his face back in his hands. “I can’t.” He forced out.

Allison took the few steps to the chair and perched on the arm, reaching out to pull Stiles into her side. She wrapped arms around her and he rested his head on her hip. “You don’t have to.” Allison whispered. “Not alone at least. We’re all with you. We’ll support you. Remember. Run. When you can’t run, crawl. And when you no longer have the strength to crawl…”

“Find someone to carry you.” Stiles finished in a whisper.

Allison nodded. “Let us carry you.”

Stiles looked up at her. “It’s my fault. He was avoiding me.”

“It’s all our fault.” Allison corrected. “We were busy mourning by yourselves that we all forgot about the wolf with no one left.”

“He’s got us.” Stiles said with conviction. “He’s not alone. Not anymore. Not _ever_ again.”

Allison smiled and pressed into him. “None of us are alone anymore. We all have family here. We’re Pack.”

Stiles smiled and nodded. “Pack. Pack means family and family means no one is left behind.”

Allison laughed. “You and your Disney.”

Stiles smiled and looked at Scott and Isaac as they came back in.

“Your dad nearly had a heart attack when I called him cause he thought you were missing now to but he’s alright and informed.” Scott said.

“And I told Melissa everything.” Isaac said. “We’re all good.”

“Lydia?”

Scott cocked his head, he had the best ears and would hear her first. “Coming up the driveway now.”

Stiles took a deep breathing, nodding. He pulled away from Allison and got to his feet. “Let’s do this.”


	14. Glad to meet you

“How many days as it been?” Derek asked Lex weakly when he woke up, his body aching.

“Four days. Seven attacks.” Lex answered. “She’ll come back tonight to make it eight.”

Derek nodded stiffly and he involuntarily whined as he felt his knee dislocated.

Lex whimpered in sympathy. In the past four days they’d grown to hate when they other is in pain.

“What will it be?” Derek whispered.

“Electricity most likely.” Lex answered quietly, knowing Derek would hate that. It’d slow down his healing and make his current injuries take even longer to heal.

“I think I figured it out, you know.” Derek whispered, trying to take his mind off the pain the same way he had for four days, talking.

“Figured what out?”

“What activated you? I suspected day one but the way you act makes me almost certain.”

“Tell me then. What activated the Spark inside me?”

“A werewolf.”

Lex didn’t answer and he looked over to see her staring at the ceiling, tears in her eyes.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

Lex nodded.

“Do you know who?”

Lex nodded again.

“Who?”

She shook her head and looked at him. “Do you remember what happened after your family died? You told her when she was me that you could clear as day remember the fire, but do you remember after?”

Derek shook his head, confused by the sudden change but knowing Lex had a reason for asking. “No Laura said I shifted and ran into the forest. I came back two days later but I couldn’t remember what had happened.”

Lex nodded slowly. “I remember what happened after my mom died.” She said it softly, as if speaking about it would make the memory fade. “She was in the hospital, in a room she hadn’t left in almost two weeks. Stiles and I were at her sides, like we were every night, when it started. Her heart began to fail and her breaths were stuttering and Stiles and I knew it was happening. He called dad and I got a nurse and we screamed and cried and begged them to save her. Dad didn’t answer his phone. He was at a scene of a car accident and didn’t hear his phone ringing. We were in the room when she died. And we reacted differently. Stiles broke. Scott was there and he held him on the floor of the waiting room as he cried but I couldn’t be there. I couldn’t stand the walls all around me and the pounding in my head and the sounds of them trying to bring her back when I knew they would fail and I _ran_. I ran from that place and didn’t stop. I was in the woods for days, eating berries and drinking from the stream, trying to forget. I remember it all to this day.”

Derek wanted to speak but he knew he shouldn’t. He knew she had to say it all at once or she wouldn’t be able to say it at all. He wanted to sooth the tears and pain he could hear in her voice but he also knew that sometimes speaking about things can make them hurt less.

“And then one night, when I was walking through the woods because I couldn’t sleep without remembering her death, I was attacked. I didn’t know what it was or why it wanted me but I knew, instinctively, that it was going to kill me. It pinned me to the ground and its nails dug into my shoulders. I still have the scars. I looked up at it and I was terrified. It didn’t look like anything I’d ever seen before. Its eyes glowed blue and it had a human shape but it was covered with hair and it had fangs that it was snapping at me as it growled.”

Derek recognized that description as a wolf out of control. He was scared for the Lex of the past even as the present-day Lex laid across the room from him.

“And I remember the fear that chorused through me as it raised its head and howled at the moon above me. And then he was blasted back by something. The creature hit a tree and stood again, growling at me, but it didn’t come close. I looked down and saw my hands, my own hands at the age of eight, glowing. I had no idea what was going on. The creature ran away and it was over but I was never the same. I didn’t know if it actually happened or not. All I had were some slashes in my shoulders when I stumbled from the woods and back into my life. They called it a cougar attack. Said I must’ve hit my head and hallucinated the glowing eyes and human-like features. But I know I didn’t. Five years later my magic was bursting out of me as I was active but not trained and so I found the school and I went to be trained. And I was not surprised by the color of my eyes. Because I knew what activated me, even before they told me.”

“A rogue wolf.” Derek whispered.

Lex nodded. She was crying now, silent tears on her face. “I thought I’d killed it but Jax helped me when he was training me to find out. And it turned out I didn’t kill it.” She looked at him, smiling sadly. “And today I’m glad I didn’t. If I had it’d probably be someone a lot less entertaining sitting in this room with me.”

Derek was confused for a long moment before the clouds cleared and he realized what she was saying. “I activated you.” His voice broke and tears sprung up in his eyes.

Lex nodded. “Don’t feel bad. I’m happy.”

Derek was gasping for a breath a little. “I made you this way.”

“And if you hadn’t Peter would’ve. I was part of his plan soon enough. While he sat in that hospital room and plotted his return. He knew I held a Spark but he didn’t know it was activated. And we take on attributes of what activates us. I took loyalty and love and some very nice claws from you. From him I would’ve gotten hatred and a love for killing. I’m glad it was you.”

“You were that girl at the school.” Derek realized quietly. “The wolf girl she talked about.”

Lex nodded. “And six months ago I died when I accidently created her while I was trying to protect a child.”

“You’re glad I attacked you?” Derek asked, stilling trying to let that sink in.

Lex smiled softly. “Yes. Yes I am.”

Derek relaxed a little at hearing that and then screamed out with an aborted, choked off sound of pain as his knee finally pushed itself back into place.

“You okay over there?” Lex asked, a little worried.

“My knee’s back in place.” Derek answered, a little breathless.

“Oh good.” Lex said.

“Yea.” Derek sighed.

“Do you really like my brother?” Lex asked bluntly.

Derek tried to laugh but groaned in pain. They’d gotten on the topic of Stiles earlier, before she came in for a round of pain. And Lex had asked if Derek liked her brother.

“I think so.” Derek answered, smirking. “What’s it feel like to like someone like that?”

“Shouldn’t you know? You’ve had at least three relationships in your life.”

“All of which ended in death.” Derek reminded her.

“Still more experience than me.”

Derek smiled. “Really? I’d have thought someone like you would be snatched up pretty quick.”

Lex laughed. “I have the eyes of a monster Derek. I’m avoided by most people.”

“Why? It doesn’t make any sense. You’re actually not bad.”

Lex laughed. “Four days ago you were pissed at me.”

“That was when I thought you were her. And now I’ve spent four days talking to you in between screaming for my life. You’re not half bad.”

“That only makes me half-good though.” Lex smiled over at him. “But thanks wolfie. You’re not half bad either. Your family would be proud.”

“I hope so.” Derek sighed.

“But if it feels like you’d do anything for him and when you don’t know what’s happening to him you feel like you’re going insane with worry because all you want is for him to be okay when we get out of this place, then yea, you probably like my brother.”

“Thought you said you don’t have experience?”

“No I said you have more. I have, had, someone at the school.”

“Who?” Derek asked.

Lex smiled. “I’m sure you could guess.”

“Jax?” Derek guessed.

Lex smiled but now it was soft and loving, the smile you see on the face of someone when they look at or think about the one person in the world they think is sillier than anyone else but that they love all the more for it. “I haven’t seen him in six months. He couldn’t see me at all after I created the Melltigedig.”

“You miss him?”

“Course I do.” She said, as if it was a dumb question. And it kind of was.

“I’m sure he’s fine.”

“You’re not avoiding this question you know.” Lex said, smirking.

“Fuck off.” Derek muttered.

Lex laughed. “Answer me and I will.”

“Fine I-”

The door burst open and Lex-that-isn’t-Lex strolled in, pushing the cart with the electric wires and batteries and control panels on. Lex was right, she was going to use electricity. “Feel good enough to feed your owner?” She smirked as she finished his statement for him. “Good. I’m hungry.”

Derek gulped loudly and all three people in the room heard his heartbeat tick up in fear.

Lex-that-isn’t-Lex laughed. “Oh I love the smell of your fear Derek Hale it is among the best I’ve had.” She turned and looked at Lex who had turned her head away so she didn’t have to watch someone she’d come to be friends with as he was prepared for torture. She tutted her tongue and strode across the room to grab Lex’s chin and drag her head around to look at her. “Don’t worry little mage. You will be feeding me tonight as well.”

Lex’s gaze shot to Derek and she could see the fear in his eyes and knew it’d be reflected in hers. If Lex-that-isn’t-Lex was risking killing Lex and losing her face and her memories, then there was no more use for her. And if there was no more use for her, then the pack was coming. Or they were already here and they were all dead. Lex was praying it was the first option. The option that left her brother alive and with a chance.

“Oh smell that fear.” Lex-that-isn’t-Lex crooed. “It is absolutely delectable. I bet your pain will be even better after so long of not having it.” She bustled back over to Derek and started attaching a bunch of wires to him, all the while they just stared at each other.

“Derek.” Lex whispered.

“Yea?” Derek whispered back, trying to ignore the wires being attached to his bare chest.

“I’m glad I met you.”

“So am I.”

“Shut up. Both of you.” Lex-that-isn’t-Lex snapped.

They both fell silent, still staring at each other as Lex-that-isn’t-Lex went over to Lex and started attaching wires to her as well.

“Lex.” Derek whispered.

“Yea?” She whispered back, ignoring the order Lex-that-isn’t-Lex gave them. They knew she was planning to kill them both. She couldn’t do anything worse.

“You were right.” Derek said. “About your brother.”

Lex smiled. “I’m glad. Although I wish you could tell him.”

“Don’t worry about that.” Lex-that-isn’t-Lex said sweetly. “You’ll see your dear little brother soon enough. He’s coming you know. He’s coming here to try and save his precious Alpha. Maybe I’ll even let him see your bodies before I kill him. I bet his pain would be just as sweet as yours.”

Lex looked up at her double, anger and rage in her eyes although she couldn’t do anything because of the chains. “You will not get away. Jax will kill you.”

“You said so yourself little Spark. Jax cannot touch me.”

Lex did not respond, just glared at her.

“Just do it.” Derek called from across the room. “Don’t play it out.”

Lex-that-isn’t-Lex grinned. “Very well.” She stuck one last to wire to Lex’s temple and walked back over to the cart. “I will enjoy this meal.” She said, grinning.

“Hey Lex.” Derek called, looking over at her.

“Yea wolf?” Lex called back, looking at him.

“Thank you.” Derek said.

Lex smiled. “You’re welcome. And thank you.”

Derek smiled back. “Of course. I sort of like your brother after all. Gotta make a good first impression on the protective sister.”

Lex laughed.

“Oh enough with the sappy it makes me want to hurl.” Lex-that-isn’t-Lex snarled. She laid a hand on the big switch and grinned at the two of them. “Goodnight. Forever.” And with those snarled words she flipped the switch, sending bolts of electricity down the wires and into the pair. They both arched off the bed at first and then collapsed into the bed, writhing and screaming in pain.

Lex-that-isn’t-Lex laughed as she watched and held out her arms, inhaling deeply. “Oh the sweet, sweet taste of pain. This is by far the best meal I’ve ever had. Too bad it’s a short one.”

As she spoke Derek and Lex’s spasms grew smaller and bit by bit they grew completely still. The world gone dark around them.


	15. Tracking Them Down

“Is that it?” Stiles asked, looking at the bowl in front of him. He was exhausted from doing a spell all day. He looked up at Lydia, who’d been coaching him through it, eyes pleading to be done.

She nodded. “You’re done.” She whispered.

Stiles sighed in relief and dropped to his knees, so happy to be done.

“You guys can come in now.” Lydia said in a normal tone, walking over to kneel next to Stiles to make him drink from a water bottle she held to his lips.

They both heard the kitchen door creak open and Scott peaked his head in. “Is it safe?”

Stiles nodded. “We’re done buddy.”

“Oh that’s a relief.” Scott said, pushing open the door completely and coming in. The rest of the pack filed in behind him and they all sat around the table.

Lydia helped Stiles off the floor and got him seated in a chair before sitting next to him and looking around the table.

“What now?” Erica asks.

“We all have to take a drink of this.” Lydia said, gesturing at the bowl of clear liquid in front of Stiles. Stiles who looked ready to pass out

“What will it do?” Ethan asked, curious.

“It’ll draw us all towards pack.” Lydia explained. “We’ll be drawn towards the people we consider pack. Nothing will stop the draw. No spell can block it. We’ll be able to follow the draw and find Derek.”

“Will it fade afterwards?” Allison asked. “I love all of you but I don’t really want to be drawn towards you guys all the time.”

Lydia nodded. “It’ll fade. All it does is take the bonds that already exist between pack members and amplify them so we can follow them.”

“Stiles are you alright?” Aiden asked, looking at the boy.

Stiles nodded. “Takes a lot.” He whispered.

“We’ll go tomorrow.” Lydia said. “Tonight we rest up. Stiles needs to sleep.”

“No.” Stiles said, looking up. “We go tonight.”

“Stiles you need to sleep.” Scott said gently, worried about his friend.

“Tonight.” Stiles hissed. He pulled a small vial from his pocket filled with red liquid. He quickly uncorked it and downed it one swallow. He winced at the taste but instantly seemed more awake. “I’m good for the night.” He said, looking at them all. And they could all see the fire in his eyes. The determination. “We need to find Derek. Tonight.” He looks over at Lydia. “I’ll be fine.”

“That potion.” Lydia said gently. “Should not be used lightly.”

“I know Lydia.” Stiles said. “And I’ll pay the consequences but not until we get him back.”

Lydia gave him a long, hard look but then nodded and grabbed the bowl, pulling it over to her and setting thimbles down next to it. “You’re an idiot for this Stiles.”

“I know.” Stiles answered, looking at the others’ worried faces. “It’s fine guys. Seriously I’m alright.”

“What consequences?” Scott demanded.

“He’ll sleep for days.” Lydia spat. “That potion’ll keep him awake until he wants to sleep but for ever six hours he’s awake he’ll need a day of pure sleep.”

“I’ll be fine.” Stiles insisted. “Once he’s back.”

Everyone looked at each other. In the four days since Lydia mentioned the spell Stiles has grown more and more determined to get Derek back. They all had figured out why but none of them were going to say anything. They would all do the same for their partners. So they just nodded and accepted it.

“This is going to taste awful, isn’t it?” Isaac asked to break the tension, looking at the thimble of liquid Lydia had handed him.

“Most likely.” Stiles smiled. “I won’t tell you what’s in it though. For your sake.”

Isaac sighed. “Why can’t just once something we have to take taste _good_?”

“Because we aren’t that lucky.” Scott told him, eyeing his own glass.

“Everyone together.” Stiles said, raising his glass. “Three. Two. One.” As one group the whole pack raised their glasses and downed them.

“God that’s disgusting!” Erica exclaimed.

“Goblin piss.” Ethan muttered.

“Goblin piss.” Aiden agreed.

“That was worse than anticipated.” Isaac said, smacking his mouth. “Got anything to wash it out with?”

Stiles threw rolls at them each and tore into one himself. “Eat. That’s all you’ll get. The more food or drink you have the faster the potion wears off. And we need to find Derek. Now.”

The others all nodded and they all sat in silence until Isaac gasped.

“I feel him.” He said. “It’s like a pull.”

“You’ll feel it first.” Lydia said. “He bit you first. Changed you. He’s more connected to you.”

“I feel it.” Erica said. She looked and sounded amazed at the feel.

“And me.” Boyd said, his voice sounding amazed even if his face didn’t show it.

“Let’s get going.” Stiles said, rubbing at his heart where he could feel the bond tugging. “We have a wolf to find.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter but I wanted the next bit to be it's own chapter :/


	16. Rescue

“Are we sure?” Stiles asked, even as he felt the tugging even stronger in his chest, pulling him towards the warehouse in front of him.

“Yes.” Isaac said. As Derek’s first bitten he felt the bond the strongest and was visibly holding himself back from running into the warehouse. “He’s in there.”

Stiles took a deep breath, nodding, and turned to the pack. “Everyone good on the plan?”

The others nodded and the wolves rolled their necks, shifting easily.

“Let’s do this then.” Stiles turned back to the warehouse and he lifted a cricket bat up onto his shoulder with a smirk on his face. His sister may be dead, but tonight she will be at his side.

The wolves all streamed from the trees, splitting off into pairs to enter the building from different spots. Allison and Lydia stayed by Stiles though and together the three of them walked forward, straight towards the front door. Stiles grinned as the reached it and Allison kicked it open, raising her crossbow. In the front room sat five men who all rose to attack, shifting to beta wolf forms, but she dispatched them easily enough.

“Now Stiles.” She said.

“Lydia.” Stiles said, looking at the redhead. “Do your thing.”

Lydia grinned and ran forward, through the front room. Stiles could hear fighting echoing throughout the building before one loud scream echoed around.

Allison smiled. “If I was gay, I’d love her.”

Stiles laughed. “I am gay and I do.”

Allison laughed and they moved through the building together. Stiles spun the cricket bat and it turned into a sword that he used with ease.

“When’d you learn how to wield a sword?” Allison asked him after clearing another room, again attacked by wolves.

“Almost two weeks ago.” Stiles answered. “I figured out how to turn her bat into weapons and decided to learn how to use it. Kept my mind off things.”

Allison nodded. “You’re good with it.”

Stiles grinned. “I know.”

“STILES!” He heard Lydia scream from down the hall.

Stiles and Allison took off towards her voice and they found her in a corner backed in by two wolves.

“Oi!” Stiles shouted.

They spun towards them and Allison quickly sank arrows into the one on the right while Stiles’s short sword found a place to rest in the other wolf’s chest.

Stiles hurried to Lydia’s side, yanking his sword out of the wolf on his way. “You alright?”

Lydia nodded, catching her breath. “They snuck up on me after I screamed. I wasn’t fast enough.”

“You’re safe now.” Allison said. “But we gotta keep moving. Don’t need them getting away.”

“Guys!” They heard Scott shout.

They looked at each and ran for the door, running towards Scott’s voice. The pack all came together in a group in the center of a round room with a hole in the center.

“Where’s Scott?” Isaac demanded.

“Down here!” They heard from the hole.

They gathered around and looked down to see Scott at the bottom of a pit.

“What are you doing down there?” Allison asked.

“I fell!” Scott exclaimed.

“Well what did you do that for?!” Lydia demanded.

“I didn’t mean to!” Scott shouted.

“Help him out.” Stiles said, backing up to let the wolves get him out. He stood completely still and felt the tugging downwards. “Guys is there a basement in this place?”

“We’ll go look.” Ethan said, him and his brother splitting off to go look for a basement door.

“Scott can you hear any other heartbeats?” Stiles asked.

Scott paused in his brushing off of his clothes after being in a pit and listened. His best friend had the best ears and could hear the whole place instead of just the area they were in. He shook his head. “I can’t even hear Derek though I can feel he’s still here. He’s probably in a sound-proofed room.”

Stiles nodded. “Alright. Keep an ear on the twins.”

Scott nodded and then went to Allison to make sure she was alright.

“He’s here.” Lydia said looking around. “But where?”

Scott looked up. “They found the door.”

The pack went running through the halls, racing to join their packmates. They skittered to a stop and all of them stared down the stairs.

“Hear anything?” Stiles asked, glancing at Scott.

His friend shook his head, looking a little scared. “Nothing.”

Stiles nodded. “Well.” He sighed. “Let’s go then. The wolf won’t save himself.”

Isaac led the way down and the pack followed, going down the stairs and following the small hallway at the bottom to a huge metal door.

“Hear anything?” Stiles whispered to Scott.

Scott shook his head and Stiles sighed.

“Ethan. Aiden. Get it out of the way.”

The twins nodded and stepped forward, grabbing each other’s arms and merging together. Then the huge wolf they made grabbed the door and wrenched it to the side before quickly throwing itself to the ground as an arrow shot towards it. The twins fell apart and they pack stood from their crouching ducks to see a shocking sight.

Lex standing in the middle of the room, arms outspread as if soaking energy up, and two figures on beds in the corners.

“Electricity!” Lydia exclaimed, spotting the wires and the car batteries. “Stop it!”

Lex in the middle of the room swung around and grinned at the pack. “About time you got here. I didn’t expect my wolves to give you that much trouble.”

“Let him go!” Isaac growled.

She smirked and looked at her brother, who was frozen in shock. “Are you ready, little spark, to play a game?” With that question Lex raised an arm and shot a bolt of energy towards Stiles. The pack dove to the side, Scott pulling Stiles, and the impact jolted Stiles from his shock.

“Why are you doing this?!” He screamed. “You’re my sister!”

“Your sister is dead.” Lex growled, waving a hand towards the body Stiles hadn’t been able to recognize when he walked in. And now, as he looked, he saw who it was. It was Lex. He looked back at the Lex in front of him who grinned a grin full of teeth and malice.

“You’re too late.” She whispered.

“Never too late.” Scott said before diving at her. No one had any clue what was going on but they knew one thing and one thing only, this wasn’t Lex. This was an enemy. They felt no draw towards her. The wolves attacked her and Lydia, Allison, and Stiles ran for the console she’d been at.

Lydia grabbed the big switch and pulled it back. The buzzing of electricity stopped and they looked at each other before running to Derek.

Allison immediately felt for a pulse before gasping.

“Allison.” Stiles said, sounding worried.

“He’s alive.” She said, almost sobbing in relief. “Barely but he’s here still.”

“Go check her.” Stiles said, jerking his head over his shoulder towards the other body that looked like Lex. He wasn’t ready to call her Lex yet. He didn’t know what was what anymore and he wasn’t willing to get his hopes up just yet. He looked back at the wolves fighting the Lex-that-isn’t-Lex just in time to see them all blasted back and for her to turn towards him, grinning that evil grin again.

“You think you can defeat me with _wolves_?” She asked. Then she laughed. “I am a Melltigedig! I have absorbed the power of a Spark and wield it surrounded by my element! I am more powerful than you could ever be! You can’t kill me!”

“Yes I can.” Stiles said, his voice was shaking but he sounded determined. “That’s all magic is in the end. Believing in what you can do.” He started walking towards her and he saw fear flicker in her eyes for a moment before she snarled.

“Belief is not enough to kill me.”

“Yes it is.” Stiles answered, still slowly approaching. “If I believe I can do something, I can do it. Lex told me that before she left. And I’m betting you know that. There’s only one reason to keep her alive and that’s if you needed her. Whether to steal her face of her memories, and I’m guessing both. And if you still have her face, then she is still alive and I will save her. Because I believe that I can.”

The Melltigedig faltered and took a step back before standing tall again. “You may believe that you can hurt me, but I believe you can’t.”

“And we believe he can.” Scott growled. “That’s more power than you have.”

“Besides.” Ethan said, smirking around a mouth of blood. “I can smell the fear on you. And what would you have to fear unless you know he can hurt you?

“He can kill you.” Isaac said gasping as he clutched his side, most likely broken ribs. "Because we believe he can.”

Stiles smiled at the Melltigedig. “You wanted to play a game. Well you shouldn’t ever play games with us. We’re much to clever for that.” With that declaration Stiles lunged forward and sank his sword into her chest. It went all the way through and stuck out the back as the Melltigedig sagged against him.

“You made a very big mistake.” Stiles whispered in her ear. “When you touched my sister.”

“She created me.” The Melltigedig gasped.

“And now I’m ending you.” Stiles snarled before pulling his sword from her chest and letting the body slump to the ground. He looked at the pack, covered in blood but healed already, and sighed a deep, shaky breath. “Let’s go home.”


	17. A Friend Arrives

Stiles was sitting in in a hospital room, between two beds, one with Derek on it and the other with the person they hoped and prayed was the real Lex. They’d covered Lex’s disappearance with a split decision to spend two weeks living in the forest and both of their electrocutions with repairing wiring at the Hale house and touching exposed wire. They had known when the burns on Derek’s body hadn’t started healing immediately that they both needed professional care. They’d managed to get both of them in one room though, which Stiles was beyond grateful for. He had Derek’s hand in one hand and Lex’s in his other, staring at his sister’s face.

“I need you to wake up.” He begged. “I need you to tell me what’s going on. I’m so confused Lex. You were _dead_. Scott _saw_ you _die_. Derek _buried_ you. And Derek killed the Melltigedig, felt its blood on his hands and had to scrub it out from  under his nails but there it was in that warehouse, _hurting you_. I-I just want to know what’s happening.” He ducked his head, choking back tears. “I need you here. Both of you. Please. Please come back to me. Please wake up.” He fell silent, choking back tears, only looking up when he heard a throat clear behind him.

“Stiles.” Scott whispered. “You need to sleep.”

“I slept for three days Scott.” Stiles answered.

“And you’ve been awake for twelve hours. It’s time you went to sleep again.”

“I can’t.” Stiles whispered, looking over his shoulder at his friend. “My sister and Derek might die. We saved them and yet they still might die because maybe we weren’t fast enough.”

“They’ll wake up.” Scott said. “The doctor’s said it will be a little while before they do. They had a lot of power running through them. They’re out of the woods. They’ll come back.”

“I can’t leave.” Stiles whispered.

“I know.” Scott said. “Mom’s going to find you a cot to bring in so you don’t have to leave them.”

Stiles looked up at his friend and his face showed the absolute gratefulness he had at that moment and Scott just smiled and walked over to give his friend a hug. Stiles dropped the hands he’d been holding for so long and turned in Scott’s arms to hug his friend tightly.

“I can’t lose them.” He whispered.

Scott smiled sadly down at his friend. “I know. We all feel the same.”

“But it’s different for me.” Stiles murmured.

“Again, I know. She’s your sister and you love them both. You’re a bit more affected than us.”

Stiles laughed without humor. “Yea. That’s for sure.”

There was a knock at the door and then Melissa came in.

“I found a cot.” She whispered, pulling the little, rolling bed in behind her. Scott went to help her move it into the room and against the wall.

“Get some sleep Stiles.” Melissa whispered, looking at her second son with concern. “You’ve been wide awake all day.”

Stiles nodded and walked over to her, falling into her arms.

Melissa was a little surprised at first and then just held Stiles tightly. “They’ll be okay.” She whispered.

Stiles nodded. “I know. You’re taking care of them.”

Melissa smiled as Stiles pulled away and she looked at him. “You call if you need something, alright?”

Stiles nodded. “I promise.”

“Good. Now sleep. The nurses have your dad’s permission to give you a sedative if you don’t.”

Stiles smiled slightly as he laid down, laying so he could still see both Derek and his sister. “Thank you.” Stiles whispered as the McCalls left.

“Anytime Stiles.” Scott answered. “It’s what brothers do.”

Stiles smiled as the door closed and the room went dark but for the machines giving life to the two people in the hospital beds that Stiles didn’t want to lose. He stared at them for the longest time, refusing to close his eyes. He didn’t want to lose them and if he looks away, if he leaves them, he’s afraid they’ll leave him in return.

“You shouldn’t worry.” He hears a man’s voice whisper from by Lex’s bed.

He shot to his feet, drawing the gun he’d made Chris give him earlier that day. “Who’s there?” He practically growled.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” The voice said. It was velvety smooth and completely calm. “Turn on the lights and we can talk.”

“Why should I?”

“Because I can help you save them.”

Stiles hesitated for only a moment before lunging for the light switch and flipping it. He wasn’t about to let them die if he can save them. He turned back to the bed and gasped, recognizing the man sitting in the chair between the beds. The chair was turned around now, so the man was facing him with a small smirk on his face. His long black hair was hanging loose around him and the left side was tucked behind his ear and his gold eyes were staring straight at Stiles, just like the drawing Lex, well maybe Lex maybe not it was definitely someone who looked and acted like Lex, showed him. He was dressed in black pants and a dark navy shirt with a black coat/cloak over it.

“Jax.” Stiles gasped.

The man smiled. “It is so nice to finally meet you Stiles.” Jax said calmly. “I just wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Can you explain what’s going on? Because I’m clueless.” Stiles begged, his arms dropping, the gun too heavy for his mentally and physically exhausted body to handle.

Jax smiled softly at him and nodded. “I will explain everything. But I think you should sit down first. You look about to faint.”

Stiles nodded and dropped back onto his bed, eyes never leaving Jax. “Are you really Jax?”

“Yes.” Jax answered. “It is impossible to use magic to copy the image of a High Fae. I am me.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?”

“You can ask your werewolf friends to listen to my heart tomorrow when you ask me if everything I’ve said is true.”

Stiles thought about it for a moment. It wouldn’t be the stupidest thing he’s ever done and it would definitely be worth it if it saved them. “Talk.” He ordered.

“You need to ask something first.”

Jax was right. There was a question burning under Stiles’s skin. “Why didn’t come earlier? Why now?”

“I’m bound by the rules of my people.” He explained. “One of those rules is that one must take responsibility for one’s actions. Lex created the Melltigedig. She had to deal with it by herself. And even now I cannot help her come back. But I can help you bring him back.” Jax said, nodding at Derek.

“And can I use that to help her as well?” Stiles asked, hopeful.

Jax didn’t answer, just looked at him.

Stiles knew what that meant. He could help them. Both of them. “Help me.” He said. “I need them.”

Jax nodded. “Would you like me to also explain what happened with your sister? Why there were two of them?”

Stiles nodded frantically. “I need to know.”

“Very well.” Jax said, lacing his fingers together and setting his elbows on his knees as he leaned towards Stiles. “Let’s begin.”


	18. Trusting

“Stiles.” Scott whispered as he entered the hospital room. It was dark but he could see the shape of Stiles sitting on the edge of the cot. “Are you awake?”

“Yea.” Stiles said from the bed. “Can you call the pack here?”

“Why?” Scott asked, concerned.

“Because I’d very much like to meet them.” He heard a soft voice say from the shadows.

Scott instinctively shot his claws and fangs out, his eyes glowing as he growled.

“Put them away.” Stiles said. “Listen to his heart and tell me if he lies.”

Scott hesitated but shifted back. Stiles would never put him in danger, no matter how messed up his head is from what’s happened.

“Was anything you told me tonight false?” Stiles asked.

“No.” The voice answered. “I spoke nothing but the truth.”

“Scott?” Stiles asked, his voice strained.

“He told the truth.” Scott answered.

Stiles sighed in relief. “Thank god. I can’t take much more of this.”

“It’ll get better.” The voice answered before Scott could. “It’s always hard the first few days. You have a lot of power inside you and it’s going to be finding itself right now. But don’t worry, I have enough control over the spark of me that created you to keep it in check. You won’t hurt your friends.”

“Thank you.” Stiles whispered.

“Wait.” Scott said. “Are you Jax? Lex’s teacher?”

“That would be me yes.” The voice answered.

“Wow.”

“What?” Jax asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“I just-well I guess expected your voice to be different.” Scott admitted, smiling.

Jax laughed. “Lex said the same thing. As did Stiles.”

“We’re a lot alike.” Stiles said, sounding a little happy at the memories. “Scott, did you call the pack yet? We need to talk about something.”

“What?” Scott asked, wary again.

“Jax has a way to save them.” Stiles said. “But I want to talk as a pack first.”

Scott nodded and pulled his phone out, quickly sending a mass, non-emergency text to the pack before putting it away again. “Can I turn the lights on or are we sitting in the dark today?”

“You can turn them on.” Stiles whispered.

Scott turned them on and could finally see the room in color instead of just the shapes his night vision gave him. He almost gasped out loud from the sight. Sitting between Derek and Lex was the man Lex-that-might-have-not-been-Lex showed them in the sketchbook, but that wasn’t as surprising as Stiles. Stiles was looking at his best friend, as if knowing Scott might freak out.

“Your eyes.” Scott whispered.

“Did you know that when a Spark begins their training, their eyes change color?” Stiles asked. “Or that the color depends on what activated your power?”

Scott shook his head.

The side of Stiles’s mouth twitched and he just blinked up at his best friend. “I was activated by wolves and mountain ash.”

Scott was shocked. Stiles’s amber eyes were gone. The amber color was still there but now there were bursts of silver and black coming from his pupils, overlapping to create a gorgeous design of black, silver, and amber.

“What about Lex?” Scott asked. “Her eyes weren’t changed.”

“That wasn’t Lex.” Stiles answered.

“I will explain once your pack is here.” Jax spoke up. “But I must insist that you shut the door for now. The less my scent spreads, the better.”

“Why?” Scott demanded. “Is someone hunting you?”

“No. But I am a High Fae. Supernatural beings are drawn towards my scent.”

“Like with the Nemeton.” Stiles added.

“Yes.” Jax agreed. “Like a Nemeton.”

“This is all very weird.” Scott said, shutting the door.

“You’ll get it all figured out.” Stiles sighed. “Took me all night but I got it all figured out.”

“It’s quite easy once you understand it.” Jax said calmly.

“Understanding it is the difficult part.” Stiles said, yawning. “Could you get me coffee while you’re still standing I’m exhausted.”

Scott nodded numbly and left the room, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

*

Soon the entire pack was gathered in the hotel room. They were all crowded around Stiles, who hadn’t moved yet, and staring at Jax, who was still as a statue, staring back at them.

“So we’re to act as lie detectors?” Aiden asked. “Bit demeaning.”

“It will get our questions answered.” Stiles said. “Just tell me if he lies.”

“Are you sure about this?” Scott asked. “He seems a bit weird.”

“He’s a High Fae.” Stiles said. “They’re bound to be a bit strange.” He shifted his attention to Jax. “Are you Jax, my sister’s teacher?”

“I am.” Jax answered, moving for the first time since the pack walked in as he shifted forward a bit, smiling. “My full name is unpronounceable for a human tongue. Your sister was the first to call me Jax.”

“What happened to my sister?” Stiles asked.

Jax smirked. “You have not seen your sister since she left for the school where I met her and trained her. Six months ago the school was attacked by a group of hunters. I left her to guard the newest at the school, the ones with no control, and ran to protect the sacred place in the center of the school. I cannot tell you what lies at that spot, just that no pure human may ever set foot there. It was imperative that I keep the hunters out. The rest of the High Fae at the school teaching Sparks, of which we only had half a dozen, ran to stand against the hunters.”

“Only half a dozen Sparks?” Isaac asked. “How is that enough for a school?”

“The school takes all manners of supernatural beings. Sparks are rare as they are the product of a High Fae blessing a human.” Jax explained. “Most of the students are weres of some kind as those are among the most common supernatural beings. They are taught control just as the Sparks are.”

“Please keep going.” Stiles said, sounding a bit annoyed after a sleepless night.

“While I was protecting the sacred space, I felt your sister using her magic. Hunters were attacking that side of the school and there wasn’t enough people there to fend them off effectively. Now this next part comes from the stories of the children Lex was guarding as I was not there. From what they said, a hunter named Jonathon Argent stepped from the woods, leading the attack. His wife stood at his side, giving orders and she fell when an arrow pierced her chest shot from the roof. By this time Lex was already preparing a magic blast and when an arrow came speeding towards one of the children, she knocked it out of the way, but lost control of the magic.”

“She moved fast enough to stop an arrow?” Allison asked, sounding impressed.

Jax nodded. “It was an amazing feat of protection from instincts placed in her by what activated her. When she did so and lost control, the blast of magic sped towards Argent. At the same time, a teacher on the roof loosed an arrow headed for the same Argent. The arrow was made of Rowan wood and when it hit, it hit at the same time as the magic. Rowan wood and magic should never be combined in this way because before the eyes of everyone watching, the hunter fell to his knees and began to glow. At the same moment, Lex fell to her knees in front of the children. And they watched as a black mark scorched its way across her forearm. And as they looked back out at the hunters, they saw the Argent stand up again, but no longer human. From what I understand, you saw what a Melltigedig looks like. Although at that time it had less scars and pieces missing.”

“That twisted thing was truly its form?” Scott asked.

“Yes.” Jax answered.

“That’s disgusting.” Scott said.

Jax chuckled. “Yes, yes it is.”

“Keep going.” Stiles hissed, needing to hear the entire story again and _know_ that it was the truth.

Jax looked at him, his gaze softening to something almost sad before he continued. “Your sister had to leave the school after that. Creating a Melltigedig is like bearing the mark of a thief. No one can help you. No one can give you any sort of support. And no one can help you kill it. No one trained at least.”

“And we aren’t considered trained?” Lydia asked, looking a little offended.

“You were never given proper teaching. That is not to say you are not sufficiently in control.” Jax said.

“And that means we could help her?” Danny asked.

“Yes.” Jax said. “So she began a journey home. But she also had to evade the Melltigedig. If the creator is caught the Melltigedig has the ability to take on the creators shape and memories as long as the creator is left alive.”

“And that’s what happened to Lex?” Isaac asked.

“Precisely.” Jax said. “Three months ago the Melltigedig caught up. It took Lex and tortured her to weaken her and allow it to assume her shape and come into this pack. One month ago, it did so. It used a spell placed in a cup of hot chocolate to gain Derek’s trust and allow her to infiltrate the pack with ease. And then she acted like your sister, Stiles, for a month. It used the memories it stole from Lex to make you all believe it was truly Lex. And then the night on the beach it used the magic it had been draining from Lex to create a copy of itself that it led you all off to kill. And then she used more magic to make herself appear dead. A Melltigedig feeds on fear and pain and in that moment when Stiles saw the pack step from the trees without his sister, the Melltigedig feasted. The pain of a twin is powerful indeed.”

“Wait so the Lex we knew wasn’t Lex?” Ethan asked.

“Exactly.” Jax said.

“Holy shit.” Aiden and Ethan muttered at the same time and then smirked at each other, still finding it funny whenever they do things like that.

“Please guys.” Stiles sighed. “I need to know everything he told me is true.”

Sorry’s came muttered from the pack and Jax smiled.

“After the initial round of pain began to subside, the Melltigedig took Derek while in the form of Lex. This was not only to get another round of intense pain but also to have something that would make you come to it. It had Lex but you were all under the impression she was dead and the Melltigedig knew that if she took Derek, you would all go after him. And then she just waited, torturing them to get food while it waited. And when it felt you coming, it strapped them to those batteries with the intention of making all of you watch them die.”

“But they didn’t die.” Stiles said, breaking in for the first time with his own clarification.

“They almost did.” Jax said. “But there is hope.”

“How?” Lydia demanded. “For three days we looked for answers and never found them. And then you show up with the solution to all our problems? Sorry but excuse me if I’m a bit skeptical.”

Jax smiled and sighed. “Lex said you were all bound to be stubborn.”

“When did she say that?” Scott asked.

“After reading the last letter Stiles sent her before she created that monster. She said any friend of Stiles had to be stubborn as a bull to get along with him. She loved that while she couldn’t be there, there was still a girl in Stiles’s life to give him shit about his stupid ideas.”

Lydia smiled a little at that.

“That still doesn’t tell us why we should trust you.” Danny said.

“Because I can’t save them myself. The rules prevent it. But I can help you, Stiles, to save Derek. I can’t help you save Lex.”

“But I can save her the same way I can save Derek.” Stiles said.

Jax didn’t confirm or deny it, only smiled slightly. “It is up to you whether you trust me or not.”

“Why didn’t you come earlier?” Aiden asked. “A whole month that things was with us and you didn’t help us.”

“I told you, it was against the rules to help her. And I cannot break the rules.”

“What happens if you do?” Scott asked.

“I lose every ounce of my power and become human.” Jax answered.

“And you won’t do that?” Stiles asked.

“I made Lex a promise that I wouldn’t.” Jax said. “And I keep my promises. Especially the ones I make her.”

No one spoke after that. They all heard the unsaid words.

“Did he lie?” Stiles asked eventually.

All the wolves shook their heads.

Stiles sighed, looking at Jax. He nodded. “Help me.”

Jax nodded. “As you wish.”


	19. Inside Derek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I'm heading out of town for the weekend so you guys are getting your Saturday update a little early instead of late this time! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

“Is this safe?” Scott asked. It was the next day, after visiting hours so they wouldn’t be disturbed, and once again they were all gathered in the hospital room. Jax was standing on one side of Derek’s bed and Stiles was on the other. Jax was in the same clothes as yesterday and just as calm

“If everything goes according to plan.” Jax answered. “Then everything will be fine.”

“And if not?” Isaac asked.

“Then I will not return.” Jax told them calmly. “But I will make sure Stiles does.”

“We’ll be fine guys. Jax and I went over it all yesterday.” Stiles assured them. “We’ll be fine.”

“Keep him safe.” Lydia said, glaring at Jax.

Jax smiled at the redhead’s fiery personality. “Don’t worry. We’ll come back. And we’ll bring your alpha back as well.” Jax looked at Stiles. “Are you ready?”

Stiles nodded, looking a bit scared but confident all the same.

“Take his hand.” Jax said, picking up Derek’s hand on his side of the bed. Stiles did the same on the other side and then they both reached out and held each other’s hand across Derek’s bed. “Doirteal muid ar an saol ar an mac tíre.” Jax whispered. His eyes began to glow slightly, Stiles’s doing the same, and then all the wolves in the room heard their heartbeats stop. They all held their breath for a long, silent moment and then their heartbeats started up again, slow and calm.

“They’re in.” Scott whispered.

“And now we wait.” Danny said.

“And hope.” Allison added.

“And hope.” Danny repeated.

~

Stiles opened his eyes in the forest. Jax was standing next to him and everything was silent. There weren’t even birds singing.

“Where are we? Stiles asked.

“The outer reaches of Derek’s mind.” Jax answered, walking forward.

Stiles hurried to keep up as Jax strode through the trees. “And where are we going?”

“To the inner reaches. That’s where we will be after what he went through. We merely have to wake him up and lead him back out to the real world.”

“Well that doesn’t sound hard at all.” Stiles muttered.

Jax smiled. “You are a lot like your sister.”

“That a good thing?”

“A very good thing.” Jax assured him. “I like your sister. She’s a good person.”

Stiles nodded. “She was always standing up for people when we were little. She hated bullies.”

“Still does.” Jax chuckled. “At the school there was a werewolf from a very prominent family. He was very cocky and full of himself when he showed up as a freshman last year. Completely sure of himself and his control.”

“Let me guess, Lex stopped that?”

“Mhmm.” Jax said. He laughed as he remembered it. “She was a junior and so she was a teacher of some freshmen classes. A couple weeks into the school year she was given the task of taking the freshmen shifters into the woods and running them before the full moon that would be that night. No one knows what she did that day, but that boy never flaunted his status again. He won’t tell anyone what happened and she just grins when she’s asked about it.”

“Do you know?” Stiles asked, looking curious.

“Why would I know?”

“You’re her teacher and her friend it seems like. She’d tell you before she told anyone else.”

Jax smiled. “Yes. She did tell me.”

“What’d she do?!”

“I believe that is something for her to tell you.”

Stiles spluttered. “Come on dude! I wanna know!”

“Later perhaps.” Jax said, stopping. “We’re nearly reached our destination.”

Stiles followed Jax’s gaze and saw himself looking at a familiar clearing. But the building in the center of the clearing was not the burnt out husk Stiles had known. Nor was it the rebuilt building Derek had worked hard to create. Stiles did recognize it however from a picture Derek had in his new bedroom of his whole family in front of their old home.

“His mind is his house.” Stiles whispered.

“Many people find their minds appearing as things that are very near and dear to their hearts.” Jax told him. “For many people it is a home. Because that is where they feel safe.”

“I wonder mine is.” Stiles mused.

“Perhaps your sister will show you one day. But for now, we have a wolf to retrieve.” Jax reminded him, smiling.

Stiles nodded. “We just go in?”

“Yes.” Jax nodded. “And try not to touch or move things. It may mess things up in his emotions or thoughts.”

“Okay.” Stiles said, looking nervous.

Jax smiled as he noticed it. “Don’t worry Stiles. Everything will be fine.”

Stiles nodded and smiled a little before following Jax as they walked up towards the house. They climbed the steps of the porch and stood in front of the front door.

“You sure he’ll be in here?” Stiles asked.

Jax nodded. “Absolutely.”

Stiles nodded and reached out, turning the doorknob and stepping inside.

“Derek?” Stiles called. “Derek are you in here?”

Only silence answered them.

“You must find him before he will hear you.” Jax whispered softly. “I must remain out here. Will you be okay by yourself?”

Stiles nodded. “I’ll be back soon I guess.”

Jax nodded, smiling.

Stiles closed the door and was surrounded by the silence of the house. He looked around in awe. Derek’s mind had filled the house with all the details a house should have. There were pictures on the wall of kids and adults all smiling and laughing. Stiles stopped and looked at one picture and felt his heart do a weird flippy thing in his chest. It was a picture of a Derek that looked maybe sixteen standing on a dock in swim trunks. There was a girl that looked a lot like him on his back and both of them were laughing and grinning at the camera.

“It’s my sister Laura.” A voice said from behind Stiles.

Stiles jumped, squeaked, and flailed as he turned around in surprise. An amused looking Derek was standing behind him. “Stop that!” Stiles ordered.

Derek just smiled and looked back at the picture. “There’s a lake in the forest, impossible to find unless you know where it is. We used to go there all the time as a family. That was taken the year before everything went to shit.”

Stiles was silent for a long moment. Derek rarely talks about his family. If anyone asks about them he grows cold and closed-off like he was before the pack really got close and started trusting each other. He was debating whether or not to let Derek keep talking or if he should mention that they should go but Derek made the decision for him.

“How are you here?” He asked, looking at Stiles. “I haven’t seen anyone else in here. Why are you here?”

“I came in to get you.” Stiles told him.

“Came in to get me?” Derek asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“You’re in a coma.” Stiles explained. “When we found you in the warehouse the Melltigedig was keeping you in it was running car batteries through you. Right now you’re lying in a hospital room completely unresponsive. You’ve been there for nearly a week. Do you remember any of it?”

Derek looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded. “I remember the warehouse. I thought I died there and this was my hell. Surrounded by the memories of my family while never getting to actually see them.”

“God no Derek.” Stiles said. “You’re alive. And everyone is waiting for you to come back.”

“Where are we now then if not hell?”

“Inside your mind.” Stiles told him after only a moment’s hesitation. “Jax showed up and said the only way to wake you up from a coma this deep was for someone to go in and get you.”

“My mind.” Derek repeated quietly, looking around. “I suppose that makes sense.”

“We need to go.” Stiles said.

“Why?”

“We can only be in your mind for so long before we get stuck here.”

“We?”

“Jax and I.”

“Jax?” Derek asked, looking surprised. “Lex’s boyfriend?”

“No. Her teacher.” Stiles corrected, looking confused. If Derek remembered everything, he should have remembered that.

“He was both.” Derek said. “We talked when we weren’t being tortured.”

Stiles looked shocked.

Derek smiled. “I assume Lex is in the same state as me if he’s here and she hasn’t told you that yet.”

Stiles nodded.

“Then do not tell her I told you. She’s terrifying when she wants to be. And she won’t hesitate to hurt me if she finds out I told you about Jax. Let her tell you in her own time.”

Stiles nodded again. “We should go.” He muttered, still processing.

Derek nodded. “We should. How do we leave?”

“Jax is waiting outside to help us back.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

“Derek?”

“Yea?”

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

Derek smiled. “Well so am I.”

Stiles smiled and led Derek out of the house.

Jax was sitting on the front steps and stood up as they came outside. He smiled and held out a hand to Derek. “Nice to meet you Derek. I’m Jax.”

“Good to meet you.” Derek said, shaking his hand with a smile. “Lex spoke fondly of you.”

Jax smiled, looking a little embarrassed by that. “We should get going.”

Derek nodded. “Lead the way.”

“Follow me.” Jax said. He turned and started walking away, the other two hurrying to follow. “Now this is going to be the hard part.” He said after walking for a while in silence. He turned and looked at them. “Getting in is easy. Getting out is a whole other story.”

“What do we do?” Stiles asked.

“Derek you’re going to have to push us out.” Jax said looking at the wolf. “But at the same time we’re going to have to try and hold on to you so we drag you out with us. At the same time I will be pulling on the magical rope I tied to the real world before we dove in to assist us. Understand?”

“That sounds complicated.” Derek said. “But I understand.”

“Good.” Jax said. “Stiles come here.”

Stiles moved to Jax’s said and the High Fae took Stiles arm in his hand. “Think about the people up there.” He told Stiles. “Think of the pack you have up there. Think of the sister you still wait to wake up. Concentrate on them. Use that to pull up as you pull Derek as well.”

“Pull?” Stiles asked.

“Imagine a rope that extends from them to you.” Jax said. “You’re pulling on that rope. At the same time there’s another rope from Derek to you that you’re pulling to pull him up the first rope with you.”

“Okay.” Stiles said, nodding. “Makes a bit of sense.”

Jax smiled. “Just believe you can do it and it’ll work. That’s a big part of what magic is.”

Stiles nodded.

“Let’s get going then.” Jax said with a bright smile. “We cannot be here much longer.” Jax closed his eyes and Stiles and Derek followed his lead. And slowly, all three of them felt like they were being pulled apart, tense like a rubber band, before snapping back together in a huge wave of magic and power.


	20. Awake again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I'm so sorry for missing the update on Wednesday I've had a few bad days here and I couldn't update but I'm back now so here you go:)

The three of them gasped. Stiles swayed and almost fell before Scott caught him while Jax fell back into the chair he’d been sitting in before. Derek gasped awake on the bed and everybody rushed forward, all talking at once.

“Shut up!” Jax screamed.

They all fell silent, looking a little offended.

“He was just unconscious for a long period of time he’s going to be extremely sensitive.” Jax quietly hissed at them.

They all looked a little sheepish as Derek blinked hard, squinting his eyes at them.

“Y’all are loud.” He muttered.

“You’re the asshole with excellent fucking hearing.” Stiles muttered. “Shut up and deal with it fucker.”

“You’re all okay?” Scott asked, looking at them.

“Luckily we were not trapped in the subconscious part of Derek’s brain.” Jax said. “We got out in time.”

“What about Lex?” Isaac asked, looking at the girl still lying in the other bed.

“I can’t help her.” Jax said, looking over at her. He looked defeated.

“But I can.” Stiles said. “I’ll need someone to go in with me, won’t  I?”

Jax looked at him, but he didn’t answer or shake his head in any way. But his eyes said ‘yes’ and that was all Stiles needed. He looked at Derek.

“Are you up to going in there with me?”

“Why me?” Derek asked, looking confused. He wasn’t squinting as much or wincing at Stiles’s voice so he figured he’d readjusted to be awake and shit.

“You were with her in that place.” Stiles explained. “She’ll know you. Trust you.”

Derek nodded. “Alright.”

“Bring her back.” Jax pleaded quietly. Everyone stared at him. The sight was very different from their first impression of him. That Jax had been cool, calm, and collected. This Jax was sad, helpless, and missing Lex.

“We will.” Stiles told him firmly.

Jax nodded and stood up, seeming to completely collect himself and hide his emotions away. “I’m leaving the room now. I was not present for any part of this planning and when I return she will be awake and it will be a miracle, got it?”

Stiles nodded, barely concealing his smile as Jax swept from the room.

“He’s gonna give my mom a heart attack.” Scott said blandly.

“She’ll get over it.” Stiles said, waving a hand wildly as he helped Derek down from the bed and into the chair Jax just vacated. Stiles and the rest of the pack had never been more thankful for thinking ahead and putting sweatpants on Derek under his hospital gown.

“You sure you two are up for this?” Danny asked, looking at them with worry clear on his face.

“We have to be.” Derek said. “I owe it to her to wake her up.”

The pack all looked to each other, silently agreeing that both of them were stupid but that they all knew they couldn’t stop them.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” Derek asked, watching Stiles walk around to the other side of the bed.

“Not a clue.” Stiles admitted.

“Well alright.” Derek shrugged. “What do I do?”

“Take her hand in your left and then hand me your right.”

Derek nodded and did as he was told while Stiles did the same on his side.

“Now what?” Derek asked.

“We hope I do this right.” Stiles said, smiling at him.

“Good luck.” Scott said.

“Don’t die.” Erica suggested.

“Thanks for the advice.” Stiles said, looking at her.

She shrugged.

“I second that advice.” Ethan said, putting a hand up.

“Put your hand down.” Stiles said, knowing looking at Ethan annoyed. “We are not dying.”

“Good so you’re taking the advice then.” Isaac said with a shit-eating grin.

“I will shoot you.” Stiles told him, trying to look serious but he was smiling.

“That doesn’t allow Isaac to take the advice though.” Allison said, jumping in. Everyone was smiling now, much more relaxed. This bitching and bickering was familiar. This is normal. Evrything’s gonna be alright if they just bitch their way through it.

“Shut up.” Stiles said. He tried sounding serious but was grinning wide and holding back laughter.

“Can we go?” Derek asked, rolling his eyes. He would looked annoyed to anyone else but luckily the whole pack is trained in Derek-code as Stiles calls it and they could all see the smile he was hiding.

“Yea.” Stiles said. “Yea let’s go.”

“Great.” Derek said.

Stiles took a deep breath, blocking out the feeling of the pack staring at him and Derek’s eyes on him and the thoughts that maybe he shouldn’t try this because he needed to do this. He took one more deep breath and bit his lip before speaking. “Doirteal muid ar an saol ar an mac tíre.” He didn’t whisper it like Jax did, he said it strong and firm, full of his need for it to work and work right. His eyes started glowing, making his new eyes look even stranger to the pack and across from him Derek’s eyes turned red, his wolf rising to the surface. Both of their heartbeats stopped for a long moment and then started again, slow and steady and calm, the exact opposite of what they had been before which was nervous, scared, and worried.

“Anyone else have a bad feeling about this?” Boyd asked.

“Yup.” Scott agreed.

“Same.” Isaac said.

Murmurs of agreement came from everyone else and Boyd nodded.

“Good. Least I’m not alone in thinking this is going to go horribly wrong.”

~

Stiles opened his eyes in another forest. This one was different from the one he and Jax had been in when they were in Derek’s mind. That forest had been familiar. It was the same forest Stiles had nearly died in multiple times but this forest was unfamiliar. And it was old. All the trees around were huge and looked extremely old.

“Where are we?” Derek asked from behind him. “And why doesn’t it smell?”

“What?” Stiles asked, turning to look at him.

“There’s no scents.” Derek told him. “Anywhere. I can’t even smell you and you’re five feet in front of me.”

“Well I don’t know why it doesn’t have a smell and I have no fucking clue where we are.” Stiles told him, looking around. “Hopefully Lex can tell us when we find her.”

“How do we do that?”

“No idea.”

“Do you know anything about what we’re doing?”

“Nope.” Stiles answered, popping the ‘p’ as he spoke.

Derek sighed. “Well hopefully we get lucky then.”

“It’s my twin sister’s mind. How hard can it be?”

“Knowing you? Immensely.”

“Oh shut up.” Stiles said, walking away.

“Just saying.” Derek shrugged, following him.

“What did you and Lex even talk about?” Stiles asked after they were walking in silence for a bit.

“What do you mean?”

“Well there was like, what, a week and a half there where you were there? What did you two talk about?”

“I was only awake for the last four days.” Derek told Stiles. “And we talked about meaningless things. Things that you’d typically never talk about but there it made sense to talk about.”

“Why?”

“Because we were pretty sure we were going to die either way.”

“Bit depressing there dude.”

“Don’t call me dude.”

“Sorry dude.”

Derek growled. Stiles grinned.

“You two could put the Solenson Twins to shame.”

“Lex!” Stiles explained, recognizing the voice.

Lex dropped down from one of the trees, smiling. Stiles ran straight towards her and tackle-hugged her. She laughed but caught him easily. Once he was righted and she’d managed to push him off a bit she looked at his face and her eyes widened. “You started training.”

Stiles nodded. “Jax started it.”

“Jax?” Lex repeated, a smile creeping onto her face. “He’s here?”

“In the real world yea.”

“The real world?” Lex asked, the smile vanishing in a mix of confusion and a little worry.

“You’re stuck in the center of your mind.” Stiles explained quickly. “Derek was too but Jax and I went in and got him. He said he couldn’t help you cause you created the thing so I brought Derek in to get you.”

“What words did you use?” Lex asked curiously after quickly smiling at Derek and getting a small tense smile in return.

“Doirteal muid ar an saol ar an mac tíre.” Stiles said carefully.

Lex laughed a bit. “You’re lucky I was activated by a werewolf then.”

“Why?” Stiles asked, looking confused.

“That’s the spell to enter a wolf’s mind. If I’d been activated by anything else there wouldn’t be any wolf in me to enter. We’d both be in Derek’s mind and I’d be catatonic because most of me would still be stuck inside my own mind. And then all three of us would get stuck in Derek’s mind because you wouldn’t have enough juice to get back out.”

“So Stiles nearly got us killed again?” Derek called over.

Lex smiled. “That’s my brother!” She said happily before throwing an arm around Stiles and walking over by Derek. “Didn’t expect to ever see you here.” She told Derek.

“But you expected Stiles?” Derek asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Lex grinned. “He’s the spare one. Of course he’d be here.”

“Oi!” Stiles exclaimed. “I’m not the spare one!”

“Mom and Dad were trying for a girl _and_ I was born first.” Lex reminded him, smirking. “That makes me the buy one and you the get one free.”

“Does not!”

“Does too!”

“Could both of you shut up so we can leave?”

“Sorry Der.” Lex said. “I assume Jax told you two what to do?”

“He said he couldn’t help at all with that.” Stiles said.

Lex sighed. “I hate all these rules.”

“So what do we do?” Derek asked.

“Just reach out to find the pack and use them to draw yourselves out while I push you out but you also have to drag me with you.”

“Hey speaking of Jax are you dating him?” Stiles asked, looking a little offended. “And why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

Lex looked at Derek accusingly.

“I didn’t know you weren’t awake and therefore hadn’t told him.” Derek defended quickly.

Lex sighed and looked at Stiles. “Can we talk outside?”

“No! Why didn’t you tell me you had a boyfriend?!”

“Because I didn’t want to drag you even deeper into this world. And I didn’t need you threatening him. He could vaporize you.”

Stiles bit his lip, blushing a bit.

“You threatened him, didn’t you?” Lex asked.

Stiles sighed. “Maybe a bit.”

“You’re lucky I told him not to hurt you.” Lex sighed.

“Why?” Stiles asked. “Has he vaporized people before?”

“How do you think he figured out he could do that?” Lex asked, smirking a bit. “It looked pretty cool too.”

“Can we go?” Derek asked again, looking exasperated.

“Oh shut up.” Lex said. It seemed like a snap but she was grinning.

Derek just glared at her.

Lex laughed and Stiles felt like he was missing something here.

“Alright.” Lex gave in. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t want you two getting stuck in here.”

“Just pull like I did in Derek’s mind?” Stiles asked.

“Exactly.” She looked at Derek. “You understand what to do?”

He nodded. “Let’s go.”

Lex nodded and closed her eyes. She started breathing slow and deep and Stiles and Derek copied her with ease. Once again it felt like being slowly stretched out and then snapped back together. They all opened their eyes, gasping, in the hospital room.

“They’re back!” Someone cried.

Lex groaned, reaching up to grab her head.

“Be quiet.” Derek hissed, clutching his own head again.

“Sorry.” The voice said. They could now recognize it as Scott instead of a loud roaring making their ears ache.

“Never again.” Stiles muttered. He looked about to pass out, slumped over and supporting himself with his hands planted on the bed next to Lex. “Never again.”

“You shouldn’t’ve done both of us in one day.” Lex mumbled softly, reaching out to pull Stiles onto the bed with her. “You used too much energy.”

He sprawled out over her. “Imma sleep.” He mumbled.

“Fine.” Lex told him, petting his head. She didn’t care if he slept. All she needed was to hold him tightly and know that he was okay. She’d been driven mad watching through the Melltigedig’s eyes as it interacted with her brother and her dad and the people she wanted to be able to call her friends but couldn’t because she’d never actually met them and they’d never met her. Being able to just lie there, hold her brother, and know that everything is okay was a blessing and she was going to relish it for as long as she could.

“Are you guys okay?” Scott whispered, not wanting to be too loud but not able to wait any longer.

“We’re fine.” Derek told him. “Just exhausted.”

“We’re gonna need sleep.” Lex said, yawning herself. “‘Specially Stiles. He used a lot more energy today than anyone ever should.”

The door opened and Jax was standing there. The room was still dark, the lights off so those of them coming back from the center of minds weren’t blinded, so the hallway light illuminated his silhouette. But Lex still stiffened when she saw him.

“Jax.” She said softly, almost a gasp on which the word was carried.

He strode forward, the door shutting itself behind him, and fell into Lex. The two of them clung to each other, reassuring themselves that the other was there, that they were okay. They only pulled apart when Stiles groaned as he was being slowly pushed off the edge of the bed by Lex’s shift in body but was too tired to do anything about it.

“It’s good to see you.” Lex said softly, smiling at Jax as he sat at the foot of the bed.

“It’s good to see you alive.”

Lex chuckled, pulling her brother back onto her and rewrapping her arms around him. “I’m hard to kill.”

“I know.” Jax said, smiling.

“So are we all okay then?” Erica asked. “The thing’s dead so everything’s okay, right?”

“Not really.” Jax admitted, looking downcast.

“The worst is yet to come.” Lex said, looking at the pack still gathered together against the wall.

“What now?” Aiden demanded. “We killed that fucking thing. Is it coming back to life or something?”

“No.” Lex told him. “The Melltigedig is dead. For good.”

“Then what?” Danny asked. “What’s worse than the thing that was imitating you for a month?”

“The people who prevented Jax from helping me kill that thing.” Lex told him.

“Who’s that?” Isaac asked.

“The Druid Council.” Jax said, looking annoyed.

“Who are they?” Lydia asked. “I’ve never heard of them.”

“Count yourself lucky then.” Jax told her, turning to look at the pack. “The Druid Council is a group of the strongest among us. The King and Queen of the High Fae sit on it as well as the three strongest Druids alive right now.”

“Except the King in this case will be replaced by his son.” Lex added.

“Why?” Allison asked.

“Because the King is going to be one of the people on trial.” Lex said, glancing at Jax.

“Sis is gonna kill me.” He muttered.

Lex chuckled, making Stiles grunt under as she moved. “She’ll always love you. She started warming up to me you know.”

“Yea and then you created a curse walking and now she’ll be worse than she was before.”

“I’m not sure she could get any worse.”

“Yes she can.”

“Hi excuse me yea we’re confused over here.” Lydia said, waving a hand around.

“I told you my name was unpronounceable in the human tongue.” Jax said. “And that Lex was the first to call me Jax.”

“Still confused.” Derek mumbled. He startled them a bit, they’d all thought he’d fallen asleep his heartbeat was so slow and steady.

“Jax isn’t just any High Fae.” Lex said. “That’s why he hasn’t had a Spark from him in a very long time.”

“Who is he then?” Scott asked.

“I’m the King of the High Fae.” Jax declared. “And on the next full moon my sister and my nephew along with three mortal Druids, who altogether are the most dangerous people in the world topped only by themselves but with me in place of my nephew. And they will decide whether or not Lex and I get to live.”

“What do you mean?!” Scott exclaimed. “They can’t kill you! You did nothing wrong!”

“Can we talk about this tomorrow?” Lex asked. “I’m exhausted. And I’d rather Stiles be awake so I don’t have to explain it twice.”

“Tomorrow.” Derek mumbled. “Sleep now.”

Lex smiled at the wolf and reached out to pat his head. “Sleepywolfie.” She muttered.

He tried to glare at her but his face was so droopy with exhaustion it looked more adorable than threatening.

“Someone help him to bed?” Lex asked, looking at the others. They all still looked worried. “We’ll be fine.” She told them. “We’ll figure it out. Stilinskis are good at that.”

No one looked reassured but they all relaxed a bit and Isaac and Boyd stepped forward to help Derek back into his hospital bed.

“You guys should go home.” Jax suggested. “Get some sleep.”

“I don’t think I can.” Ethan muttered.

“Try.” Lex told them. “The Druid Council won’t go after any of you. They aren’t even in town yet. And probably won’t be until almost right before they need to be here. They don’t gather often.”

“Only when they want to judge someone and/or kill them.” Jax muttered.

“Shush.” Lex said, kicking him. She looked at the others, smiling a bit. “At least try to get some sleep.”

They all nodded, mumbled incoherently about not being able to sleep but they all looked a little sluggish as they walked out.

Scott was the last to leave and before he did he turned back and looked at Lex. “It’s good to have you back. The real you.”

Lex smiled. “It’s good to be back. And Scott?”

“Yea?”

“Thanks for keeping Stiles safe when I wasn’t here to do it myself.”

Scott smiled. “Anytime.” He shut the door behind him on the way out, leaving the four of them alone.

“This is gonna suck.” Lex muttered.

Jax put his hand on her shin and squeezed. “We’re gonna be okay. It’s gonna be okay.”

“Jax?”

“Yea?”

“I’m scared.”

“You wanna know the truth?”

“Always.”

“So am I.”


	21. Everything's Okay...Sort of

The next day Lex and Derek got out of the hospital. They were given strict instructions not to do anything physically demanding for two weeks but they were released. Stiles had tried telling Lex to come back to their house, but she’d insisted on going to the pack house. So the whole pack, parents included, gathered in Derek’s living room, all looking at Lex and Jax sitting on the short couch together.

“So you’re telling me that for the last month it wasn’t my daughter I was seeing but a monster who kidnapped you and used your magic to feed on our pain?” John asked. He, Melissa, and Chris were on the long couch, all looking a little overwhelmed. They’d just been told the entire story as the pack already knew it.

“Yes.” Lex told him.

“And the boy sitting next to you is the High Fae your mom saved all those years ago? And he’s the one that’s been training you to control your magic and all that?”

“Yes.” Lex said again. “He’s also my boyfriend.”

“What?” Chris asked. “I’ve never heard of High Fae committing to mortals.”

Lex bit her bottom lip and glanced at Jax, who nodded slightly. Lex sighed and looked back at Chris. “That’s because it doesn’t happen very often. But sometimes a High Fae falls for a mortal. And rather than watch those they love die, they give the one they fell for more power.”

“He’s making you like him.” Chris said. It wasn’t a question but more of an accusation although the biting tone the hunter might have used in this situation in the past was not present. “A High Fae.”

“Yes.” Lex said. “The process is slow however. I won’t stop aging until I’m in my mid-twenties.”

“Why so slow?” Lydia asked. She and Aiden were on the other short couch, pressed together as if scared the other might vanish.

“Going too fast could kill her.” Jax answered, speaking for the first time in a while. “And I’d really rather not do that.”

“What if you do?” Scott asked. He was sitting with Allison on the floor by his mom and Chris’s legs.

“I’d follow her into the Earth.” Jax answered. “As High Fae before me have done and High Fae after me shall as well. We don’t fall in love very often. When we do, we don’t let go.”

“What does this mean for me?” Stiles asked from his spot curled up in one of the armchairs with a notebook propped against his legs. He was trying to record everything to help him keep it all straight in his head. They’d discovered that the Melltigedig had said many false things during its month as Lex. “Do I still get training?”

“Yes.” Lex answered before Jax could. “Not training you now would only attract more dangerous things to you. Things trying to take you and drain your power. You have to be trained.”

“But I stay mortal?” Stiles asked, making sure.

“Entirely.” Jax told him.

“Good.” Stiles declared. If anyone noticed the way he glanced at Derek who was sat in the other armchair, no one mentioned it.

“What about this Council you mentioned yesterday?” Danny asked. He and Ethan were on the floor by the couch Lydia and Aiden were on. Whenever there was possible danger the twins liked being near each other. It was a sense of comfort knowing the other was there. “You said they were going to decide whether or not you died.”

“We were getting to that.” Lex said with a sigh.

“What council?” John demanded.

“You wanna take this?” Lex asked, looking at Jax.

Jax sighed but nodded. He looked at the others and took a deep breath before beginning. “When human mages began growing in power they began encountering my kind a lot more than they used to. Soon a time came when they encountered us enough that conflicts began arising. And so the Druid Council was formed. It consists of the two ruling members of the High Fae, known as the King and Queen, and they three strongest mortal mages in the world. As a group they are the highest authority in our world. What they say, is law. Their rulings cannot be altered and can be changed unless powerful evidence is submitted to them to do so. And they were ones that wrote the rules that all Druids, High Fae and mortals alike, must follow. Those laws are the ones that kept me from helping or even seeing Lex once she created the Melltigedig. Those laws have governed everything she could do and I could do for six months. And now that the Melltigedig is dead, the Council must travel here, to the place it was slaughtered, and make a final ruling.”

“And what ruling is that?” John asked.

“Whether or not I followed the rules.” Lex said. “Whether or not _we_ followed the rules.” She said, gesturing between her and Jax.

“But you did, didn’t you?” Melissa asked.

Lex nodded. “To the best of my knowledge.”

“And mine.” Jax added.

“So what’s to worry about?” Melissa asked. “They can’t hurt you if you followed the rules, right?”

“That’s right but the rules are extremely complex and I don’t know them all.” Lex said. “I could’ve broke one and not known it.”

“But Jax should know them, right?” Isaac asked. He was on the floor near Derek’s chair, taking comfort in having his Alpha nearby and safe after not having him for so long.

“I should.” Jax agreed. “But even I do not know them all.”

“But you said you sit on the council.” Erica pointed out. “Shouldn’t you know them all then?”

“We often have to look up the rules for the case we are working in order to make a clear judgment.” Jax told her.

“Wait how do you sit on this council thing?” John asked. “You said you’re High Fay or something like that but you said only two of you people sit on it. The King and Queen.”

“And he’s the King, Dad.” Lex told her father, smiling a little tensely. “His nephew will be sitting on it in his place for this ruling.”

“Oh.” John said. “So not only is my daughter turning into an immortal supernatural thing but she’s dating the King of them as well. I need a drink.”

“You’re not having a drink.” Melissa told him sternly.

“Picked a hell of a month to wean me off drinking.” John muttered, glaring at her a bit. She just glared back until he backed down. Scott tried not to smirk at seeing his mom make the Sheriff back down.

“When are they coming?” Derek asked.

“The full moon.” Jax answered. “We only make judgments when the moon is full.”

“That’s in four days.” Stiles stated, knowing someone was about to ask.

“What do we do then?” Lydia asked. She looked a little scared but she was hiding it well.

“We hope and pray.” Lex answered, sighing sadly.

Jax reached over and put an arm around her shoulders, squeezing tightly for a moment. “It will all turn out alright. We have followed the rules as best as we were able. They will rule in our favor.”

“Not if Johanna has anything to say about it.” Lex muttered.

“Who?” Ethan asked.

“Johanna.” Lex repeated. “One of the mortals on the Council.”

“Why’s she a problem?” Allison asked.

“That’s the one who hates you, isn’t it?” Derek asked.

Lex nodded.

“You told him about her?” Jax asked, looking at Lex.

Lex shrugged. “I was dying. And I wasn’t going anywhere till I ranted at _somebody_ about that jealous bitch.”

“Who is she then?” Scott asked.

“She was a teacher at the school.” Lex explained. “Back in my freshmen year. She was on the Council at the time but she wasn’t such a mean-hearted little bitch like she is now.”

“What happened?” Aiden asked.

“I did.” Lex answered.

“Johanna was attempting to draw my attention.” Jax explained. “She had been for many years but I kept avoiding her. She didn’t love me and I didn’t love her. She only loved what my power could give her.”

“Eternal beauty and life.” Lex muttered. “She deserves ugliness and hell.”

“Don’t talk bad.” Jax scolded her softly. “She’s still stronger than you.”

“Yea but I’m nicer.” Lex said smiling.

Jax rolled his eyes.

“So what happened?” Erica prodded.

“Well, as I said she had been trying to catch my attention for years.” Jax said, looking back at them as he continued. “And I never let her near enough. She thought that she loved me but I knew better. I knew she didn’t really want me, only my power, so I avoided her as much as I could. I did that by rarely visiting the school, only going when it was required of me. But when Lex came to the school, I had to go to be her trainer.”

“And then she went batshit.” Lex muttered.

Jax pinched her shoulder and she winced but that was all the mention of her words as he continued. “Johanna began to get jealous very quickly of how much of my attention Lex had. She confronted me about it and I told her it was because Lex was my student and therefore required my attention. She got violent and I had to…subdue her. Ever since she has hated me and Lex because she believes I was hers and Lex stole me away while I allowed it to happen. She will almost definitely vote to kill us for some tiny rule or another.”

“But that’s only one vote.” Stiles said. “As long as the other four see sense it will be alright, right?”

“In theory.” Jax nodded. “Yes.”

“Oh good.” John muttered. “My daughter’s safe ‘in theory’.”

Lex smiled at her dad. “It’s gonna be fine dad.”

“Hopefully.” Jax said.

Lex slapped his head. “Shut up!”

John groaned and put his head in his hands.

“It’ll be fine dad.” Stiles told him, smiling. He sounded completely confident. Only those with supernatural hearing could tell it was all fake confidence by the blip in his heart.

“What about the rest of us?” Lydia asked. “What do we do?”

“Stay out of the forest on the full moon.” Jax answered. “Where we go, parties follow. Fae are known for their parties. You wouldn’t want to get stuck in that revelry.”

“Actually a good idea would be for you to have a party that night.” Lex said. “By law they can’t steal, injure, or change someone else’s guest. So if all the people there are yours, they can’t take anyone.”

“I guess that’s a job for me then.” Lydia said. “Where should we have it?”

“You can have it at the loft.” Derek told her. “There’s nothing there to break anymore.”

“Why do you still have that place anyways?” Stiles asked.

Derek shrugged. “A place to get away.”

“Anything special I need?” Lydia asked, looking at Jax and Lex.

“Make sure there’s liquor.” Jax told her. “Lots of it. They drink. A lot.”

“And go for a lot of darkness.” Lex suggested. “They tend not to look completely human when they get caught up in the dance.”

“Blacklight then.” Danny suggested. “That’ll be easy.”

“Rub all the walls with salt.” Jax added. “It dims our power so it’ll help keep them under control.”

“I guess I’ll make sure no one on the force breaks it up.” John said, sighing. “You sure it’ll keep people safe?”

Lex and Jax both nodded.

“Much safer than wild Fae running loose on a full moon.” Jax told him.

John nodded, mouth set in a grim line. “Alright then.”

“What about me?” Chris asked, speaking up for the first time in a while.

“Keep an eye on the forest.” Lex told him. “Fae get a bit wild and we don’t need anyone wandering in there. And try to keep this off the radar. We’ll be sending up a big enough flare with a Druid Council gathering here but with these parties, things might get out of hand.”

Chris nodded. “I’ll keep it silent.”

“And us?” Stiles asked. “What are we supposed to do?”

“Go to the party.” Lex told him. “Lydia’s party. You’ll be safer there.”

“How?” Scott asked.

“They won’t dare attack anyone and risk breaking their customs at parties.” Jax told them all. “You’ll all be safe as long as you’re dancing and at least trying to have fun.”

“We can’t just party while you’re out there possibly being sentenced to death.” Ethan said.

Lex smiled at him. “We’ll be fine. Either way you’ll know the verdict. They’ll be sure to let our next of kin know that we were found guilty of breaking the rules. They’re very good about that.”

“Well good to know they’ll tell us if they kill you.” Stiles muttered.

“Bro.” Lex said. There was a small warning tone to her voice and Stiles sighed.

“Sorry I just don’t like that you’re going to be walking straight into the clutches of someone that would like nothing more than to kill you.”

“And I don’t like that you had to face a Melltigedig with no training.” Lex said. “We all do things we don’t like in this world. That does not make it any easier. I wish I didn’t have to face them but I created a monster and now I will bear the consequences of it.”

“Can’t one of us go with you?” Isaac asked.

Lexx and Jax shook their heads.

“No one can go with us.” Jax said. “To take someone with would be to break a law and would only get us killed faster.”

“Well.” Boyd said, speaking up for the first time. “Looks like I was right then.”

“About what?” Erica asked, looking at him.

“I knew this was going to go bad again.”


	22. Druid Council

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter a day early because I'm seeing friends tomorrow and don't know if I'll have time to update tomorrow. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

“I’m worried about this.” Stiles said. He was sitting on Lex’s bed, watching his sister get ready.

She looked at him in the mirror she was sitting in front of while she did her make-up and smiled. “It’ll be fine. Derek’ll keep you safe.”

“Why is he picking me up anyways?” Stiles asked. He looked like he was trying to ask it casually but failed miserably.

Lex laughed. “Why? Does my wittle brother have a wittle crush?” She teased.

“Shut up.” Stiles said, throwing a pillow towards her. It barely made it halfway before flopping to the floor.

Lex rolled her eyes. “Why haven’t you asked him out yet?”

“Because he’s just begun to actually trust me and I’m not ruining that.”

“What if he likes you back?”

“He doesn’t.”

“How could you possibly know that?”

“He doesn’t care about me. Not like I do about him.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re wrong.”

“No I’m pretty sure I’m right.”

“Just give it a chance Stiles.”

“Never.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not ruining what little I do have with him by asking him out just because of some stupid crush.”

Lex sighed and turned to look at him. Her eye make-up was done and Stiles knew that once she did her hair and got dressed she’d look like the ethereal beauty he always knew she was. “Stiles. At least give it a chance.”

“No.” Stiles said firmly. “I’m not risking it.”

“Fine.” Lex huffed, turning away and pulling her hair down from the bun she’d put it in to do her make-up. “But I think you should.”

“Why’s he picking me up tonight?”

Lex shrugged. “Maybe he’s worried about you like you were about him when he was taken.”

“Doubtful.” Stiles said, flopping backwards onto the bed. “Probably just wants to make sure I don’t screw things up tonight.”

Lex looked at her brother in the mirror and held back a sigh. Sometimes she just wanted to scream at him but she knew she couldn’t. She wanted the two of them to figure it out themselves. So instead of telling Stiles about what Derek had told her she just kept a blank smile on her face and said, “You should get dressed. He and Jax’ll be here soon.”

“Don’t know what to wear.” Stiles muttered.

Lex sighed. “Give me five minutes and I’ll help you.”

Stiles smiled, sitting up. “You’re awesome sis.”

“And you’re hopeless.” She told him.

He shrugged, thinking she was talking about the clothes not the Derek thing. “Lydia or Allison usually helps me for things like this.”

Lex rolled her eyes. She finished curling her hair in silence before pinning the sides back with matching silver clips and then stood up. She was in sweatpants and one of Stiles’s plaid button ups and the look of those combined with the make-up and hair was a bit strange but Stiles thought she totally pulled it off.

“Come on.” She said, waving him out. “Let’s get you clothes.”

“Whoo!” Stiles cheered sarcastically as he got off the bed and walked out of the room.

Lex rolled her eyes and followed him next door to his room and went straight to digging through his closet.

“You own too much plaid.” She stated, not looking at Stiles.

Stiles just shrugged as he sat down on his bed. “I like it. It’s my _style_.”

“You don’t have a style.” Lex told him. “You have an obsession.”

Stiles chuckled. “Just shut up and give me clothes to wear.”

“Here.” Lex said, throwing a pair of jeans at him. “Put those on while I find you a shirt.”

Stiles caught the jeans and changed out of the baggy ones he was wearing. “There a bit tight.” He said once they were on.

Lex turned away from the closet to look him over. “Turn around.” She ordered. Stiles did so and she grinned. “They’re perfect.”

“They’re _tight_.” Stiles complained.

“No.” Lex told him. “They _fit._ A strange concept to you I’m sure.”

Stiles glared at her but she just smiled and went back to digging for a shirt.

“I have a weird feeling about tonight.” Stiles said, sitting back down on the end of his bed and laying back to look up at the ceiling.

“What kind of feeling?”

“A weird one.”

“It’s probably just gas.” Lex told him.

“Maybe.”

“Here.” She said, yanking a shirt from the closet and throwing it at him. “Put it on.”

Stiles sighed but did as he was ordered and then stood up and did a spin so Lex could see it.

She nodded in approval. “Wonderful.” She’d dressed Stiles in jeans so dark blue they were nearly black and a deep red shirt that hugged his torso and showed off the muscles he’d been hiding under his plaid. “You look great.”

“You look half-ready.” Stiles snarked back, trying to get the conversation off him.

Lex rolled her eyes. “I’ll get dressed in a minute. You good though? You look tense.”

Stiles nodded. “Just worried about you.”

Lex smiled. “Don’t worry about me. If Jax and I get into trouble I’ll just do what Stilinskis do best.”

Stiles cocked his eyebrows in a question.

Lex smirked. “Bullshit it.”

Stiles laughed, throwing his whole body into the action. “Go get dressed. You said they’d be here at eight and it’s nearing eight.”

Lex nodded and left the room, stopping at the door to smile back at Stiles. “Think about taking a chance tonight Stiles. Even if it does go bad, which I’m almost positive it won’t, Derek’s not the kind of guy to cut you off completely.”

“How do you know? You just met him.”

“And I spent four days listening to him being tortured.” Lex reminded him. “We talked quite a bit to try and distract each other.”

Stiles sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

Lex grinned. “Thanks bro.” She said before leaving, shutting the door behind her.

Stiles flopped down onto his bed with a loud sigh. “Fuck.” He groaned. “I’m fucking screwed.” Right then the doorbell rang so he heaved himself back up with another groan and padded downstairs to get the door. He opened it to find Jax standing there in all black clothes with black sword and scabbard hanging at his side.

“Expecting a fight?” Stiles asked, gesturing to the sword as Jax stepped inside.

Jax smiled and looked down at it. He put a gloved hand on the hilt and pulled it out just enough for Stiles to see the gleaming steel blade the black hilt held. “I’m hoping not.” He told Stiles. “But it’s best to be prepared, just in case.”

Stiles nodded. “As long as you bring her back.”

Jax looked Stiles in the eye for a moment before smiling. “I shall do everything in my power to bring her back. That I can promise you.”

Stiles smiled. “Thank you.”

Jax nodded. “Thank you for trusting me.”

“Anyone who managed to get Lex to laugh and smile like you do is good in my book.” Stiles said. “She has good judgment on her own. I may not like you making her something else but it’s her choice. I won’t fight her when it’s not my choice to make.”

Stiles nodded and then seemed to brush the more serious tone of their conversation away as they walked into the living room and sat down. “So what’s with all the black?”

“Customary.” Jax answered. “The accused wear black to represent the darkness that may lie in their souls.”

“Hm.” Stiles hummed. “What do the judges wear then?”

Jax smiled a bit. “I typically wore silvers and blues. My sister preferred reds and golds. With the other three the colors change constantly. I’ve found that humans change their minds quite a lot. You’re very flighty creatures.”

“Sorry?” Stiles asked, looking a little confused how to take that.

Jax chuckled. “I did not mean it as an insult. Merely an observation.”

“I suppose when you live forever human lives seem very short.”

Jax shrugged. “Some seem shorter than others. Sometimes the years drag by like a turtle pulling a boulder and other years fly by like a bird in the wind.”

Stiles smiled. “I can see why she likes you.”

Jax laughed. “And I can see why she wanted to keep you safe. You mean quite a lot to her, you know.”

Stiles nodded. “Yea I know. She’s always tried to keep me safe. And she does pretty well too.”

There was a knock at the door.

“It’s Derek.” Jax stated.

Stiles got up and went to get the door. He opened it to find Derek standing there with some flowers.

“Here.” Derek said, thrusting them at Stiles.

Stiles grinned. “Awesome! Lex loves flowers!” He turned and started towards the kitchen, calling over his shoulder. “Come on in dude we’re waiting for Lex to be ready!”

Derek did and walked into the living room.

“He’ll figure it out at some point.” Jax told him. “It took Lex nearly six months.”

Derek sighed and sat down. “He’s blind.”

Jax smiled. “Trust me Derek. If he’s anything like Lex is, it’s completely and utterly worth it in the end.”

“What’s worth it in the end?” Stiles asked, coming into the room.

“Not killing the people who annoy you.” Derek snarked immediately, smiling a shit-eating grin at Stiles as he sat down.

“You’re an ass.” Stiles stated.

Derek shrugged. “Better than an idiot.”

“I’m not an idiot!” Stiles protested.

“Yes you are.” Lex stated, sweeping into the room.

“Whoa.” Stiles gasped, unable to even snark back at the sight of his sister. She was in black jeans that hugged her legs and showed off the muscles she’d gained at the school. She was wearing a shiny silver tank top that showed off her figure and more of her muscles. Combined with the make-up she really did look ethereal and powerful. Like she was turning into a High Fae.

Lex grinned. “Well it’s not often I make him speechless.”

“You look awesome!” Stiles exclaimed.

“I have to agree.” Jax said, grinning.

“Wait but Jax said you had to wear black.” Stiles said, confused now.

Lex held out the black leather jacket she was holding. “Plenty black for them. But I plan on living to go to that party and there’s no way in hell I’m going there in all black.”

“You look great.” Derek said sincerely.

Lex smiled at him. “Thanks wolfie.”

Derek’s face went from amazed to annoyed in a second and Lex just grinned.

“There. That’s the Derek I prefer.” She said.

Derek rolled his eyes.

“We better get going.” Jax said.

Lex nodded. “Yea. We wouldn’t want to be late for this.”

“Good luck.” Derek said.

“Luck is irrelevant.” Lex told him. “It’s bullshitting skills we’ll need tonight.”

“Well then you should be fine. You’re very good at bullshitting things after all.” Derek smirked.

Lex laughed and held out her arms. “Give me a hug wolfie. Just in case I do die tonight.”

Derek got up and hugged her tightly before stepping back.

Lex looked at Stiles. “Get over here brother.”

“I’m not saying goodbye.” Stiles declared. “You’re coming back.”

“I know.” Lex said. “But I still want a hug.”

Stiles smiled and walked over to hug his sister tightly. They clung to each other for a long moment before stepping back, both pasting smiles on their faces.

Stiles looked at Jax. “You bring her back.”

Jax nodded. “I will.”

Lex smiled, looking between the two of them. “I’m glad you two get along.” She stated. “It would’ve sucked if you didn’t.”

“Maybe we don’t get along and only pretend to for your benefit.” Stiles suggested, looking sassy.

Lex shook her head. “Nah. You and Jax both suck at pretending to like people. You’re very open with your hatred.”

“Not true!” Stiles exclaimed.

“Completely true.” Jax said, smiling.

Lex smiled back at Jax and then at the other two. “You two stay safe tonight, okay? No wandering off with hot fae women.”

“You got it.” Stiles said, rolling his eyes.

“I’ll keep an eye on him.” Derek told Lex.

Lex smiled at Derek, her smile a slight smirk as if she was teasing him. “You do that.”

Derek rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything.

“Put your jacket on then.” Jax said, looking at Lex. “We need to go before we’re late.”

Lex nodded and pulled the jacket on, zipping it up all the way to her throat to hide the silver tank top. “Let’s go then.”

~

Jax and Lex walked hand in hand through the dark forest for a long time before either of them spoke.

“Are you worried?” Jax asked quietly.

Lex nodded. “I’m scared.”

Jax stopped and pulled Lex against him. “They won’t hurt you. They can’t. You did nothing wrong.”

“According to them I might’ve.” Lex whispered.

“No.” Jax insisted. “You did nothing but survive and protect those you love.”

“And that probably means I did something wrong according to them.” Lex muttered.

“Enough.” Jax said. “We are fine. We will be fine. And then we will go to that party and have fun like we haven’t gotten the chance to.”

Lex smiled slightly and then nodded. “Alright. Alright let’s go.”

Jax nodded, smiling at her. “In we go.”

Together the two of them linked arms and walked into the clearing ahead.

Seated in chairs that looked like they were made of tree branches and vines that were still moving and twining around themselves and the chair were five people. In the center of the semi-circle they were sat in was a woman with silver hair that tumbled down her back and golden eyes that stared at them calm and unfeeling. She was dressed in a long silver dress that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. She looked at them as though she was above everything and didn’t want to be their but would never complain about it for fear of being rude. To the woman’s right was a boy that looked no more than fifteen. He had hair that looked like spun gold and eyes as blue as the noon time sky. He was dressed as most boys would in jeans and a black t-shirt. He was watching them with a smirk on his face and curiosity in his eyes. To his right was another man with white air and a kind, old face that spoke of a lifetime of wisdom. He was smiling slightly at them, his fingers locked lazily together under his chin as his brown eyes skimmed over them. To the silver woman’s left was a man who looked like he could either be thirty or fifty and his green eyes spoke of wisdom beyond his years. He did not look kind as the other man did but he did not look cruel either. Merely indifferent. But to his left was the second woman who glared at them as if every problem in the world was their fault. Johanna. She had long brown hair that was in a braid that draped over her shoulder and what looked to be old style breeches and tunic. There was a sword at her hip with a ruby embedded in the hilt and her hand was resting on it as she leveled her cold green eyes at them.

“Council.” Jax said, bowing slightly.

Lex bowed as well but did not speak.

“King.” The silver woman said. “How nice of you to join us.”

The corner of Jax’s mouth twitched in a small smile. “Sister.” He said. “I would say it is nice to see you but not in this way.”

The woman in silver smiled slightly. Lex remembered that Jax said that he normally calls her Cia but that during Council meetings she is called Queen Lavencia as that is her title.

“We are here tonight to judge the path of Alexis Stilinski, Spark of King Płomieńcajaxen.” Queen Lavencia declared. Jax had told Lex once that his sister was the only one who could pronounce his name right and she often did so just to piss him off. “May the light of the moon lead us true and allow us to serve a just sentence.”

“May the moon guide us.” The other four Council members muttered.

“You may speak as you wish.” Queen Lavencia told them. And so the trial began.

The first thing Lex had to do was stand there and tell them everything she did from the moment the Melltigedig was created. She had to tell them what she did, who she saw, and if anyone helped her. The entire time she could feel Johanna’s glare on her but she ignored her, instead staring straight at Queen Lavencia the entire time. At one point the boy interrupted her.

“I’m sorry can I interrupt?” He asked.

Lex smiled at him and waved for him to continue. She had to. It would be bad form to not allow a Council member to speak.

“I’ve never met you before. My name is Avanolay.” He said. “Although most people call me Avo.”

Lex bowed slightly. “It is nice to make your acquaintance.”

He laughed. “There’s no need for that with me. I had a question about your trip through the forest in Poland.”

“Of course.” Lex said.

“How did you manage not to get attacked?” He asked. “Everyone knows the stories of that place. They say no one who goes in alone ever comes out again.”

“I nearly didn’t.” She told him. “But I was trained at a school that his constantly being attacked. I was trained from the start in battle magic. I am stronger than most as the High Fae I come from is one of the strongest among them. I was attacked. Often. But I managed to hold my own. There were a few close calls, one that came much closer than the rest but I did make it out. On my own.”

He nodded, smiling. “Thank you. If you are found acceptable I’d like to spar with you some time. It might be fun.”

Lex smiled and looked back at Queen Lavencia. She could feel Johanna’s eyes burning into her with even more heat than before. No doubt she was angry that Lex had made Avo like her and smile. She was still adamant about killing them both.

And so Lex continued her story. She told of her travels across Europe, seeking a way to kill the Melltigedig without breaking any of the rules. She told of her flee across the ocean and her eventual capture in America. She told of the three long months she spent locked away and tortured at the hands of her creation. During that time she had to hold Jax’s hand tightly as the High Fae was practically shaking with anger and pain as he listened to her tell them everything the Melltigedig did to her. Soon she reached the part when the Melltigedig took her shape and entered the pack. She spoke of everything she experienced it doing through their bond. When she reached the capture of Derek she told of everything the Melltigedig did to him as well as to her. And then, finally, she told of the night her brother led his pack on a raid and rescue, intending only to find Derek but finding and saving her as well. And she told of how her brother used the power of his belief and the belief of his friends to kill the Melltigedig where it stood in that warehouse, wearing her face like a second skin.

“Your brother killed it?” The old man asked, looking shocked. “Forgive me child I am very old but I have never heard of an untrained killing a Melltigedig.”

Lex smiled softly at him. “Forgive me Councilor…?”

“Thomas.” He told her.

“Councilor Thomas.” Lex said. “My brother is not entirely untrained. There is a former Emissary here in town. The Emissary to Talia Hale before her death. At one point in time he used my brother’s latent powers for mountain ash and several blessings. However he never realized the extent of my brother’s powers, and therefore never gave him proper training. He was given the same basic lesson all children are taught, no matter how weak or strong they are. Belief is a powerful feeling. With it, you can do many things you could not do without it.”

Thomas smiled. “So it is.”

Lex smiled.

“What happened after it was dead?” Johanna demanded sharply. This must mean she hasn’t found anything against Lex yet. Now she’s digging, searching for something to use against her.

“I will leave this part to King.” Lex said. “I was unconscious afterwards from the large amount of electricity.”

Jax stepped forward.

“Speak brother.” Queen Lavencia said. “And tell no lies.”

Jax bowed to his sister and started his story. He told of how he came to this town as soon as he felt the Melltigedig die through his bond with Lex and how he met Stiles and told him of what had happened to his sister. He told him of the travelling deep inside Derek’s mind to find the wolf and bring him back as a gift to Stiles, the brother of the girl he’d chosen to love. He told of his search to find a way to bring Lex back without breaking any of the rules and of his utter surprise when he returned to the hospital to find that Stiles and Derek had made the jump into Lex’s mind, only managing to survive by a stroke of luck that the words Stiles had said, the ones Jax had used to enter Derek’s mind, worked on Lex because she was activated by a wolf. Stiles and Derek nearly did not survive as Stiles had already been tired out by diving in to get Derek and he passed out for a long time afterwards, regaining his strength and for the first time in a while being happy because his sister was safe. He recalled the look in Stiles’s eyes and the looks of the pack gathered together as they looked at Lex, awake, safe, and breathing and how relieved and happy they all looked. When he was done he stared resolutely at his sister, ignoring the heated glare Johanna was sending his way.

“I have one question.” The other man with the ageless face and indifferent green eyes said.

“Ask away Daval.” Jax said calmly.

“If what you say is true, and the boy brought her back, how would you categorize him?” Daval asked. “He has not had formal training, I will give you that, but he dove into the center of an alpha wolf’s mind, a trip that not many can make, and then he dove into her mind as well and dragged her back with only his strength, the half-strength of his recently woken wolf and the strength of Alexis herself. This is not something many could do.”

“You are very correct.” Jax agreed. “But Stiles is no normal boy and he was not diving into the minds of people he was not close to. While neither knows it Stiles Stilinski and Derek Hale are each other’s. They are soulhalves and that opens their minds to each other much easier than to anyone else. And Lex is his sister. His twin sister. The two of them shared the womb and shared the life they lived after they left that womb for many years before Lex moved away for her training. Twins always have it easier on each other. They are practically within each other’s mind at all times. He has not found his power yet. What little he was able to use that day he was able to use because of who the people he was saving are. I would not categorize him as anything other than what Lex said earlier. He knows only the most basic of our rules. He knows nothing of the rules I have to follow. He is nothing more than a mortal with the ability to help those he loves.”

Daval nodded, sitting back in his chair. He looked at Queen Lavencia. “My lady, I believe it is time for us to convene and make our decision.”

Queen Lavencia nodded. “I believe you are right Daval.” She looked at Jax and Lex. “You two are excused. Do not go far for you must come back when called.”

Jax and Lex nodded and bowed again before turning around and leaving the clearing. As soon as they’d taken five steps into the forest Lex sagged against a tree, letting out a broken sounding sigh as she slid to the ground.

“It’s alright.” JAx said quickly kneeling down in front of her. “It’s alright. It’s going to be alright.”

“They’re going to judge him trained.” Lex muttered, tears welling up in her eyes. “Then he’ll be killed too. Jax I can’t let him die. I can’t. I’ve spent the last three years trying to keep him safe. He can’t die now because of something _I_ did.”

“He’s not going to die.” Jax assured her, pulling him forward so he could hold her tightly. She responded by burying her face in his neck and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

“He’s not going to die.” Jax repeated. “None of us are going to die. We did nothing wrong Lex. We’re going to be okay.”

Lex didn’t respond, just held him tighter and cried a little faster.

Jax didn’t say anything else, just held her tight, one arm around her shoulders and one hand on the back of her head. He looked up at the branches of the trees above him, wondering why him being in love meant that he had to watch the woman he loves suffer through everything the world could possibly throw at them. He had no idea when he started loving Lex but all he knew was that ever since her pain had been his pain and watching her worry over Stiles was making his heart pull apart in his chest and it was all he could do to not bury his face in Lex’s neck in turn and let the tears threatening to appear in his eyes to run down his cheeks as they wished to. Lex needed him to be strong and support her now. He had to help her through this.

“It’s time.” Queen Lavencia’s voice floated through the trees around them.

Lex pulled away, sniffling.

“You okay?” Jax asked gently.

She nodded, wiping away her tears. “Do I look alright?”

Jax smiled and kissed her forward. “Beautiful.”

Lex rolled her eyes, laughing a bit. “Come on. If we’re gonna die, I’m going with my head up.”

Jax smiled and together they walked back to the clearing. They stepped back in to see the five of them where they were. Johanna was scowling, looking pissed, and the other four were smiling slightly. That bodes well for them.

“We have made our decision.” Queen Lavencia declared.

“And what is that decision sister?” Jax asked.

“You have been found innocent of all rule-breaking.” Queen Lavencia declared, smiling.

Lex and Jax grinned, squeezing each other’s hand tightly.

“Alexis Stilinski you are free to walk away from this place tonight and the curse you created as been forgotten. You are cleansed and free Alexis.”

“Thank you my lady.” Lex said, grinning and bowing.

“And me?” Jax asked.

“King Płomieńcajaxen you have been cleared of all charges as well.” She declared. “You may walk away tonight and continue your plans to make this woman yours and to give yourself to her.”

Jax grinned and bowed to his sister. “Thank you sister. If you agree we will be taking our leave now.”

She nodded. “Fly free and may the moon always guide you.”

“And you dear sister.” Jax replied, bowing once more before grabbing Lex’s hand and fleeing from the clearing.

The two of them ran through the forest, laughing and grinning and enjoying each other’s company as they haven’t been able to for six months. They ended up high in an oak tree, Jax leaned against the tree trunk with Lex sitting between his legs as they straddled the branch and she leaned against his chest. 

“We did it.” Lex sighed happily. “We fucking did it. We’re okay.”

“I told you so.” Jax said, smiling smugly as he kissed Lex’s shoulder.

Lex rolled her eyes and hit his leg. “Shut up smugly.”

Jax laughed. “I’ve missed you Lexi.” He said softly.

Lex smiled. “I missed you too Jaxi. But we can’t stay up here long. My brother will kill me if we miss the party.”

“They’ll all be drunk when we get there anyways.” Jax whined.

“Then we’ll give them the news in the morning. But I need to be there Jax. I promised him we’d go if we lived.”

Jax sighed. “Fine. Five more minutes?”

“Five more minutes.”


	23. Partytime

“Stop fidgeting.” Derek sighed, glancing over at Stiles. “You reek of nervousness.”

“Sorry.” Stiles muttered, holding still.

“Why are you even nervous? Jax won’t let them kill Lex.”

“I know.” Stiles said. “But I still hate not being there. Not being able to say my part in all this.”

“Lex said you being there would only make it worse.”

Stiles snapped his head towards Derek.” What?!”

“When she suggested I pick you up tonight, she said that she wanted to make sure someone came to get you so you didn’t try to follow them out there.” Derek explained quietly.

Stiles’s shoulders sagged minutely in a motion Derek missed as he kept watching the road ahead. “So why’d you say yes?” Stiles asked, keeping the disappointment out of his voice. Lex hadn’t told him that she’d asked Derek to drive him.

“Figured she was right.” Derek shrugged. “That is one thing I learned about your sister. When she says something I don’t know, she’s usually right.”

Stiles nodded, happy to turn the conversation to Lex. Lex is an easy subject. He can manage talking about Lex. “She’s always been that way.”

“You think she was right about tonight being one of the most dangerous nights of our lives?”

“This is one of those times I’m hoping she’s wrong but know that she’s still probably going to be right.” Stiles sighed. “I was reading through a book Jax gave me about fae and from the looks of it their parties typically end in deaths, kidnappings, or losing and/or gaining body parts.”

“Well that sounds great.” Derek said sarcastically.

Stiles smiled a bit. “Lex said everyone should be safe as our guests.”

“Should being the most important word in that sentence.” Derek said.

“I thought you trusted Lex?”

“I do.” Derek said. “I don’t trust these fae coming tonight. The way she talks about them it’s like they don’t have any morals.”

“They do.” Stiles said. “Everything has morals. A sense of right and wrong. But for some things or people it’s skewed. What may seem wrong to us could just be fun for them.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better about this.” Derek said, pulling up to the old building. Even Stiles could faintly hear the bass drum even from this distance.

“Just try not to kill or attack any of them.” Stiles said. “Jax said that would remove the restrictions on them for the entire pack if one of us goes after them.”

“I know Stiles. I was there.”

“Sorry.” Stiles muttered, shoulders slumping at Derek’s slightly biting tone.

Derek sighed, hating to see Stiles’s shoulders sag like that but he had no idea how to make him feel better without completely revealing his feelings. “Come on then. Lydia’s already gonna be annoyed we’re late.”

~~

Two hours later Stiles found himself standing in front of the wall, pressed back to stay out of the way, watching the party. The huge space in the center of the loft was filled with bodies, most not entirely dressed and with some sort of glow paint on them. Of to the left by the doors was the space to get painted or to paint yourself with the glow paint, Allison had been running it with Danny and Ethan but now it was just Ethan and a handful of girls that had pretty good skill with a brush. Danny was now off fixing some of the lights that had been knocked into and Allison was with Isaac and Scott behind the bar, serving drinks. Lydia was off somewhere, flitting around the room, making sure all the tables stayed sort of clear of trash, making sure the food tables stayed stocked, and making sure that no one was where they weren’t supposed to be. Aiden was mostly in charge of that last one as he’s still very good at intimidating people. Boyd and Erica were on the dance floor together as they had been for a while. Stiles had been able to keep an eye on them at first but they quickly melted into the crowd and he’d lost them. The dance floor looked like something from another world. Doing the blacklight was a great call because while every once in a while Stiles saw someone that definitely wasn’t human walking to the bar or back the dance floor was so chaotic and melded together that it was impossible to pick one body out of the mix let alone a non-human body.

“Not bad for a last minute toss together.” Derek’s voice suddenly came from right next to his ear as he stared at the dance floor.

Stiles jumped and looked at the wolf, who stepped away  quickly. “I hate you.”

Derek just kept grinning. “Your sister and Jax back yet?” He shouted over the music.

Stiles shook his head. “They said it would most likely be at least three hours before they get here.” Stiles didn’t bother shouting, knowing Derek could hear him fine even over the music. “Apparently they had to walk pretty far into the forest to get to the council.”

Derek nodded. “Wanna dance then?”

Stiles’s eyes widened. “What?!”

“Wanna dance?!” Derek shouted louder.

“I heard you the first time!” Stiles exclaimed.

“Well then do you?”

“Why the hell are you asking me?!”

“Who else would I ask?” Derek asked, looking confused. He was trying to mask his disappointment. Maybe Lex was wrong about her brother’s feelings for him. She said he’d say yes if asked to dance and he wasn’t saying yes. He was almost looking offended.

But Stiles was offended. He was shocked. Derek was asking him to dance when Derek could go up to anyone in this entire flat and they’d dance with him without a second thought. So Stiles did what Stiles does when shocked or put in situations like this where he has no idea what to say that won’t make him look like an idiot. He squeaked and hurried away mumbling about going to help Scott at the bar.

Derek watched him go and then sagged into a chair once Stiles was out of sight. He put his head in his hands and tried not to get too frustrated. Lex had warned him that Stiles was the kind of person to not believe that he was attractive and deserved to be loved but Derek had no idea how hard it was going to be. Everything he did seemed to be wrong.

“He’s a bit on the stupid side, isn’t he?” A female voice said above him.

He looked up to see Lydia standing there, hand on her hip. He gave her a tense smile. “A bit.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Lydia told him. “Stiles is a bit slow on the uptake but he’ll get it eventually. Or someone will tell him.”

Derek sighed. “I gave him flowers when I picked him up. He said awesome because Lex loves flowers.”

Lydia smiled at that, chuckling. “Derek he’s a bit of an idiot when it comes to all this. But I can assure you of one thing, there’s no way he doesn’t love you.”

“And how do you know that?”

Lydia smiled. “Because when you were missing, finding you was the only thing on his mind. He made us all promise not to tell you but I think you should know. He spent a week tracking down everything he could to try and find you. Eventually he found that potion that he did tell you about. What he didn’t tell you was that after making it he was exhausted to the point of nearly falling asleep on his feet and then took a potion that would keep him awake but make him sleep a day for every six hours he used it to stay awake. He slept for three days in the end because after we found you two and got you back to town he refused to go to sleep until we had you at the hospital and then he waited until you were both looked at and settled in a room before he let us force him to sleep.”

“And Lex is his sister he had right to be that worried with her in danger.” Derek muttered.

Lydia poked his shoulder with one manicured finger. “Derek Hale I swear to god if you start doing this too I will lock both of you in a room and you will stay there until you’ve fucked, do you hear me?”

Derek nodded, looking a little shamed. He may be the alpha but he was rightfully terrified of Lydia Martin.

“He was worried about you.” Lydia said firmly. “He kept asking the other wolves if they could hear anything yet and he wouldn’t sit still he kept pacing everywhere until Isaac and Scott jumped him and pinned him to the floor by sitting on him. He annoyed us all because he was worried about _you._ ”

Derek’s eyes were wide and he couldn’t think of anything to say in response.

Lydia smiled. “Now that we’ve got that covered, go and get another case of tequila the fae seem to really like it.”

Derek smiled and got to his feet, stopping to kiss Lydia’s temple in thanks before going to do as ordered.

Lydia smiled to herself, satisfied, and then marched off to get everything in order at the bar because having Scott and Stiles near that much glass will end in disaster if she doesn’t get at least one of them out of there.

 

Derek dropped off the new case of tequila with Isaac and Allison, Scott and Stiles having been sent away from the glass things by Lydia, and then turned towards the dance floor, leaning against the bar with his drink in hand. He couldn’t get drunk, nor did he want to, but he wanted something to do so he had a beer. He was also enjoying the lack of pounding music over here. Lydia had figured out how to make a semi-sound barrier with herbs and oils so she had one set up so there would be a space to go for the wolves and possibly the fae if the music became too much. And, not for the first time of the night nor probably the last, a slightly tipsy woman in short shorts and a bra with glow paint on all her bare skin, of which there was plenty, sauntered up to him.

“Hey there handsome.” She purred, pawing at his chest.

Derek sighed internally, pulling away from her alcohol filled breath.

“Come on handsome.” She pouted. “Dance with me.”

“No.” Derek said shortly, pulling back again.

“Don’t be like that cutie.” She said, basically laying her body completely over his and getting as close as she could. “Dance with me. You know you want to.”

“No I don’t.” Derek said, gently pushing her off of him.

She merely pouted deeper, but still didn’t give up. “You gotta let loose handsome. Or those frown lines will just get bigger.”

“Don’t care.” Derek said shortly. “I don’t want to dance.”

She started to lean in again and opened her mouth to speak again before an arm was shoved in her way.

“Don’t even think about getting closer.” The girl who’s arm was blocking the way said. Her cold was tone and her blue eyes were like ice.

The first girl looked at her, glaring daggers. “This is not your business bitch.”

“It is now.” She declared. “Now get going before I slam my fist into those fake ass boobs of yours.”

The girl snarled and then she seemed to flicker for a moment, the pretty girl vanishing for a split second and replaced by a dead looking girl with barely any flesh and the glow paint on her face was on a skull instead and you could see through her torso before the pretty girl flickered back into view and she stormed away.

“They’re called screamers.” The girl that had scared the other one of said, looking at Derek and hopping up onto the bar. “They’re dead in reality, really hard to rekill. To do it you have to separate all their limbs and then burn each part separately and then scatter the ashes so they can’t reform.”

“Who the hell are you?” Derek demanded. Isaac was nearby, obviously paying attention to see if Derek would need his help.

“Ashiavalon.” The girl said, holding out a hand that he didn’t take. She shrugged and pulled it back, not seeming offended by it. “Although typically people just call me Ash.”

“I’m assuming you’re fae by your name.” Derek said.

Ash smiled. “Yea most of us have strange names. Poor Mien got one of the worst.”

“Who?” Isaac asked, not even pretending not to listen anymore and instead coming over to join the conversation.

“Oh you’d know him as Jax probably. Lex is the only one who’s ever called him that and the only one he really allows to call him that. Makes their connection a little stronger. Easier on him. We all call him Mien though. It means king in one of our oldest languages.”

“You know Jax and Lex?” Allison asked. She’d been walking by and heard it, now she was leaning on the bar by Isaac.

Ash smiled. “I’m his niece.”

“Do you know their fate yet?” Derek asked quickly.

She shook her head. “We’ll know when they announce it and not a moment before.”

“You called that girl a screamer.” Isaac said. “What is she?”

“Fae like the rest of us. But a horrible kind. They are what happens to a fae when we break a vow. We’re stripped of our powers and our eternal beauty but we remain immortal, wasting away.”

“Why?” Allison asked. “Why not just kill them?”

Ash shrugged. “Most of the fae who break vows are vain creatures that value themselves and their beauty more than anything else. It’s the ultimate punishment to watch themselves waste away. And as they waste away their appetite becomes greater and greater and more and more unquenchable. They still have enough power to create glamours in places like this, filled with lust and drunken tomfoolery and all sorts of delicious things for them to feed on but when they get turned down they lose a bit of power, occasionally revealing themselves like she did.”

“What would’ve happened if she got Derek to dance with her?” Allison asked.

Ash shrugged again. “Depends on what Derek did. The more he enjoyed himself with her the stronger she’d get and then he’d probably get drunk on her magic and lose control, allowing them to make him their toy without technically breaking any of our laws.”

“Well thanks then.” Derek said.

Ash nodded, hopping down. “Any friend of Mien is a friend of mine. I’ll let you get back to your evening.” She turned and melted back into the crowd, but not before they briefly saw the sundress that was hanging off her petite frame glow like it was made of fire and flicker in the dance lights.

“I’m not nearly drunk enough for this.” Isaac muttered, getting back to work.

Derek nodded in agreement, turning away and watching towards the dance floor again. And he couldn’t help but grin. Stiles and Scott were dancing with Erica and Boyd. Well  it was more like Erica and Boyd were trying to teach Scott and Stiles how to dance. Scott was okay. Stiles was…having difficulties.

 

“I don’t understand!” Stiles shouted.

“Stop flailing your arms!” Erica screamed at him. “It’s not that hard!”

“I got it.” Boyd said. He stepped behind Stiles and grabbed the boy’s arms.

“Alright now sway your hips.” Erica ordered, mostly concentrating on Stiles but keeping an eye on Scott nearby.

Stiles started swinging his hips and instantly Erica darted forward to grab them.

“Like this stupid.” She said, smiling as she guided his hips.

Slowly Stiles began to start understanding and Erica carefully pulled her hands back.

Boyd let go of his arms and immediately Stiles froze.

“What do I do with them? “He demanded.

Erica sighed. “Just whatever feels natural but don’t fling them around. Use smooth, slow movements.”

Stiles nodded and started up again a bit before he felt his phone start buzzing in his pocket and flailed a bit to get it out and look at it. He squeaked a bit when he read the text he got and then ran off.

“What was that?” Erica asked.

“That was Lex being here.” Scott shouted to her, already starting to work his way through the crowd after Stiles.

Immediately Erica and Boyd both joined him, bodily shoving people out of their way as they scrambled towards the door.

The entire pack had heard it or saw the flash of silver as they came in and soon they were all at the door as it slid open, revealing Lex and Jax standing there. Lex had ditched the leather jacket and Jax had ditched the sword and gloves and it look like someone had ripped the long sleeves off, leaving his arms bare. They both showed only a little skin but they looked very attractive. But the pack wasn’t concerned with that. They were more interested in the _alive_ characteristic as they tackled the pair of them. Stiles was right at the front, latching on to his sister and refusing to let go even as the rest of the pack took turns hugging, high-fiving, and/or ruffling hair.

“You survived!” Erica shouted happily.

Lex waved a hand around Stiles and the music fell away, leaving them in a little bubble of near silence.

“Johanna did her best.” Lex said. “But we survived.”

“And she did not look happy about it.” Jax said. H was standing close to Lex, leaning towards her slightly and she was leaning slightly back towards him as she still had her brother clinging to her but neither of them looked like they noticed it.

“Well it’s a good thing you’re here.” Lydia said, smiling. “The fae have been getting antsy for nearly an hour.”

“They’ll be announcing the verdict any minute.” Jax said. “And then we’d all best hold on because the fae will party like there is no tomorrow.”

“And I plan to join them.” Lex declared. She peeled Stiles off and kissed his forehead. “I’ll still be alive in the morning. Have fun because I know you’ve spent the last three hours worrying.”

Stiles nodded, smiling a little guiltily. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Lex told him. “I’d have worried too.”

Stiles smiled.

“Everyone set?” Lex said, looking at the others and raising her hand. “We can celebrate us being alive tomorrow. Tonight we have fae to control.”

They all nodded and she waved her hand, allowing the party to wash back over them. They were soon scattered back all across the loft, manning their posts and running the party and keeping the humans safe. Jax got dragged off by some other fae to dance with them but Lex grabbed Derek before he could dart off though and dragged him onto the dance floor. She flicked up another sound shield and planted her hands on her hips.

“Well?” She demanded.

“I tried asking him to dance.” Derek said.

“And?”

“He ran away.”

Lex growled. “Goddamn it Stiles!”

Derek shrugged. “Maybe you were wrong.”

“I wasn’t wrong.” Lex spat. “My brother’s just an idiot who denies himself everything he wants because he doesn’t think he’s worth it!”

“But he is.” Derek said. “He’s loyal and strong and stubborn and smart and-”

“Derek.” Lex cut him off.

“Sorry.” The wolf said, ducking his head, blushing and smiling a bit.

Lex smiled fondly. “You’re right. He is worth it. He’s worth everything I tried to do to keep him out of this and he deserves to have someone like you to help make this godforsaken world a little less horrible. The difficult part is making him accept it.”

“Lydia threatened to lock us in a bedroom together till we fucked.”

Lex laughed at that. “No I don’t think we need to resort to that.”

“Then what?”

“I have no idea.” Lex said, but she was grinning. And that grin was scaring Derek a little. It was a grin he recognized. His sisters used to wear it before they did something against the rules that they knew he’d take the fall for and he’s seen Lydia wear it multiple times before she blows something up. “But I’ll figure something out.”

“And in the meantime?”

“Have fun!” Lex exclaimed. “Get drunk! Dance! Have a good time! We’re surrounded by a huge celebration Derek! Join it!”

With that happy declaration the sound barrier around them broke and Lex allowed herself to be swept away by the dancers, leaving Derek alone in the center of the dance floor feeling only a little better and more hopeful than before.

~

Lex finally managed to pull Jax back out of the fae’s clutches and to the bar. She and Jax both sent tiny bolts of magic at two fae trying to chat up Ethan and Aiden, who were now working the bar.

“Damn boys.” Lex said, hopping up onto a barstool. “Must be some hella good tips for you to deal with that.”

Ethan smiled at her while Aiden chuckled and went back to restocking the shelves.

“We’ve gotten pretty used it to it over the years.” Ethan said. “No matter what species women always seem to think we’re pick-upable.”

“Never take no for a fucking answer.” Aiden muttered.

“Not that you had problems with that before Beacon Hills.” Ethan smirked at his brother.

“Oh shut it ya bastard.” Aiden said. His words were biting but his tone was fond and his eyes smiling.

Ethan laughed. “So what can I do for you?”

“Just let us sit for a minute.” Jax said. “I’d forgotten how tiring my people are when I decide to join them in their revelations.”

“Poor old man hasn’t partied in years.” Lex said, grinning and reaching over to tousle Jax’s hair. She didn’t do much damage that the party hadn’t already. The normally smooth black locks were wild and disheveled, definitely giving him a more wild and uncontrolled appearance.

Jax knocked her hand away and glaring at her but she just smiled back and not before long he cracked and smiled again.

“So how’d you two get stuck on bar duty?” Lex asked Ethan as he finished served some humans that had walked up.

“Allison and Isaac wanted to go dance.” Aiden answered as he passed by. “Asked us to take it for a bit.”

“You look comfortable.” Jax commented. And they did. There was a constant stream of people to and from the bar but Aiden and Ethan were serving them with quick, efficient, and sometimes flashy movements that seemed well practiced over the years.

“We’ve tended plenty of bars.” Ethan told them, coming back over and grabbing four beers to deliver to a human male. “We have too damn much experience with it.”

“It was the only money we could get in most towns.” Aiden added. “We paid most of the bills for wherever the alpha pack was staying at the time.”

“Impressive.” Lex said.

“How is it impressive?” Aiden asked, looking confused.

Lex smiled. “There aren’t many people in the world who would be able to do that. Get jobs. Tend bars. Deal with sluts and assholes who won’t leave you alone. Support three other people who probably never even thought to say anything to you about it.” She shrugged. “It’s impressive.”

Aiden tried hiding the smile and blush a bit but he failed. He didn’t fail as much as Ethan though. Lex could see his ears bright red even if the boy was facing away from them.

“Blushing is totes adorbs.” A girl drawled as she took her drinks from Aiden before sauntering off.

“That was unexpected.” Jax said.

“You get used to it.” Aiden said, smiling a little.

“Well then I suppose we should get going before I make you blush even more.” Lex said smirking.

Aiden rolled his eyes but smiled. “Sure thing. And Lex?”

“Yea?” Lex said, turning back as she and Jax stepped away.

“It’s good to have you alive still.”

Lex grinned. “It’s damn good to be alive.”

~

Stiles was in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by his friends, and he was still trying to figure out the whole dancing thing. Scott and Allison were nearby, completely in sync with each other’s movements, and Isaac, Boyd, and Erica were dancing together as well. All five of them had an idea as to what they were doing and they did it well. Stiles was still trying to find and stick to the beat.

“You suck at this.”

Stiles jumped and swung around to see his sister standing there. She had a huge grin on her face and there was glow paint swirled on her temples and down her arms. He didn’t know if it was just the paint or if she really was glowing but she looked amazing.

“You need to find the beat!” Lex shouted.

“Like it’s that easy!” Stiles shouted back.

Lex rolled her eyes and stepped forward, grabbing his hips.

“What are you doing?” Stiles demanded.

“Teaching my stupid brother how to dance.” Lex responded, starting to force his hips to move.

Stiles grumbled but went about it. He waved his hands around wildly for a few seconds before settling with them on her shoulders.

“You need to relax Stiles.”

“I’m trying!” Stiles protested.

“Obviously not hard enough.”

“Well it’s not that fucking easy!”

Lex rolled her eyes. “Just imagine I’m Derek then.”

Stiles froze and glared at her.

“What?” She asked innocently smiling. “You’re perfectly relaxed around him.”

Stiles didn’t stop glaring but his body relaxed a little and he actually dropped his head forward to set on her shoulder. “You’re wrong about him.”

“What about him?” Lex asked. She let go of Stiles’s hips, their dancing coming to a halt as she moved her arms up to wrap around her brother. Their friends had drifted away, lost in the crowd.

“He doesn’t love me.”

Lex sighed. “He does to.”

“No he doesn’t. Not like I love him.”

“How do you love him then?”

“Like he’s everything.” Stiles said simply. “I thought I was in deep with Lydia but that was nothing compared to this.”

“And why didn’t you just tell him or make it obvious like you did with Lydia?”

“Because I never had her friendship. I have his. And I’m not ruining that.”

“I don’t think you have.” Lex said softly before pulling away.

Stiles looked at her in surprise and saw her staring calmly at something behind him. He swung around and stepped back in shock. Derek was standing there. Derek. Who had obviously just heard what Stiles said. He was standing there with a shocked expression on his face as he stared back at Stiles.

“Fuck no.” Stiles spat before vanishing into the crowd.

Derek watched him go and then looked at Lex, angry now.

She waved him after Stiles. “Go!” She shouted.

Derek did as ordered and took off after Stiles.


	24. Ooey Gooey Mushy Love

“Stiles!” Derek shouted, grabbing Stiles’s arm.

“No!” Stiles shouted, ripping his arm away. “Leave me alone!”

“Why?!”

“Because I don’t need to hear your speech about how you don’t fucking feel the same as me!” Stiles shouted. “I don’t need your sympathy! I get enough from everyone else in this godfuckingforsaken world and I don’t need it from you too!”

“Did you mean it?” Derek ground out.

“What?!” Stiles demanded.

“Did you mean what you said?! About your feelings!”

“Of course I fucking meant it you fucking idiot! I was talking to my sister! The person I never lie to know matter how bad it gets because she’s always been able to tell when I was lying! And I’m a fucking idiot for ever thinking it was ever going to be me you picked! So you and your sympathy can fuck the fuck off cause I don’t need any more of it! I’m weak enough as it is!”

Derek reached out and grabbed Stiles’s arm again, this time yanking him in a kissing him hard. Stiles froze and Derek instantly pulled back. Then he grabbed Stiles’s hand and led him to the staircase. He ripped the sign out of his way, knowing Lex would fix it when they were gone it was the least she could do for fucking this up. He dragged Stiles into his bedroom and then immediately let go of Stiles’s hand, walking across the room to allow Stiles distance. “Sorry about that.” He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at the floor. “I shouldn’t have kissed you without making sure it was okay and all but I just hate listening to you talk about yourself like that and I think Aiden laced my last drink with wolfsbane because I feel a little drunk right now.”

Stiles just stared at him in shock.

“Stiles?” Derek asked, looking up with worry. “Did I hurt you or something?”

It was Derek’s voice that broke Stiles out of his revere. It sounded so weak and vulnerable and caring and so _hurt_.

“I’m fine.” Stiles managed to say. “Not hurt. Just…shocked.”

Derek smiled a little. “Sorry about surprising you like that.”

“Why?” Stiles asked.

“Why am I sorry?” Derek asked, confused.

“Why kiss me?”

Derek shrugged, blushing a little and not looking at Stiles again. “I like you.”

“You do?” Stiles asked, surprise filling his face and widening his eyes.

Derek nodded. “Have for a while really.”

Stiles opened his mouth and then shut it again, having no idea what to say. “Oh my god.” He finally managed to say.

Derek looked up, fear in his eyes.

Stiles saw it and instantly hurried forward. Derek flinched back just a bit and Stiles froze, almost to him and arms out for a hug. “Derek?” Stiles said softly. “Come here?”

Derek hesitated for only a moment before lunging forward and burying himself in Stiles’s scent. Stiles wrapped his arms around the wolf, holding him close.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Stiles said softly.

Derek didn’t respond, just nuzzled closer.

“Derek. We need to talk.”

Derek nodded and then pulled away completely, going over to sit on the bed.

Stiles walked over and sat down next to him.

“So what now?” Stiles asked.

Derek shrugged.

“Lex didn’t give you orders on this?”

Derek smiled a little.

“There we go.” Stiles said, grinning. “You should smile more. It looks good on you.”

“She didn’t tell me anything.” Derek admitted quietly. “Just ordered Jax to come and get me so I could ‘accidently’ overhear.”

Stiles sighed. “Sounds like my sister.”

“But you really meant it?”

“Course I meant it.” Stiles huffed. “Like I said, it’s Lex. I gave up lying to her a long time ago. She’s a better lie detector than you guys.”

Derek smiled a little again. “Well I feel the same.”

Stiles looked at him. “I kinda figured that with the whole dragging me into a kiss thing.”

Derek blushed. “I didn’t mean to I just didn’t like you putting yourself down like that.”

Stiles sighed. “After a lifetime of being compared to Lex and being asked where the ‘better’ Stilinski twin is, it gets kind of easy after a while. I started believing it.”

“You shouldn’t. You’re better than anyone out there.”

Now it was Stiles’s turn to blush.

“I mean it.” Derek said. “You’ve pointed out on many occasions I could have anyone I wanted in this town. Did that include you?”

“Course it did. That was my way of flirting with you.”

“As well as punching me all the time?”

“And dude, come on, I let you eat my curly fries during finals. Let’s love bitch. Curly fries are like life.”

Derek laughed a bit. “Well I bought a game system because you said I should have one so you could invade whenever and play. I really bought it so you would invade a little more often and hang out.”

“Really?” Stiles asked, he’d never expected that. He’d figured Derek bought it for Isaac or Boyd or Erica. Definitely not for him.

Derek nodded, looking a little self-conscious about it. “Really.”

Stiles smiled. “That’s awesome dude.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “And you’re supposed to be the smart one. Your sister knew I liked you just from what you told her about me.”

“Lex was always the more observant of people’s feelings. I don’t do that well.”

“Obviously.”

“Hey you don’t either Mr. I’ll-Just-Bottle-Everything-Up-Until-I-Explode.”

“Says Mr. Can’t-See-The-Fucking-Obvious-Devotion-Of-Someone-Right-In-Front-Of-Him.”

Stiles blushed a little. “Did you know that when Lex, well Melltigedig Lex, first got here I got jealous of her because I thought you were falling for her?”

Derek laughed. “I didn’t. Did you know that I once got jealous because I smelt a girl in your room but it turned out to be a sweatshirt Lex had sent you from Ireland?”

Stiles burst out laughing, leaning back and into Derek as he did so. “No way!”

Derek nodded. “That’s how your oblivious friend Scott figured it out. If I hadn’t gone to him for that, he might not have ever figured it out.”

Stiles smiled. “And the others?”

“Erica got it first. Then Boyd, Isaac, and Danny. Lydia’s in there somewhere as well. The others were told by their partners.”

“How’d they get it?” Stiles asked. He’d decided to just lay down on the bed and look back up at Derek.

“Erica’s the only one who told me. The others just told me they knew.”

“Well then tell me how she knew.”

“The way I treat you at training.”

“You run me ragged!”

“But I always keep an eye on you apparently.” Derek said. “According to Erica it was obvious to her that I was watching out for you the whole time and just doing it to make it look like you were the same as the others.”

Stiles grinned. “Well how about from now on you just go easy on me?”

“No way. Need you to keep in shape so you can run screaming from the monsters.” Derek teased, poking Stiles’s side.

Stiles pushed his hand away, glaring, but there wasn’t any heat in the glare.

“So now you get to tell me how you were discovered.”

Stiles groaned. “Noooooooo.”

“I told you. It’s only fair.”

“But it’s embarrassing.” Stiles whined.

“Come on.” Derek said, flopping down to lie next to him. “Tell me.”

Stiles sighed. “Lydia’s a genius so I assume she just _knew_. Scott got a lot of me talking about you so it was obvious to him. Isaac as well. I don’t know how the others figured it out.”

“Really?” Derek prodded. “Erica didn’t make sure you knew what you did to help her figure it out? Besides what you just said, not embarrassing at all.”

Stiles groaned. “I hate you.”

“I don’t think you do.”

“You’re right I don’t but I want to right now.”

Derek just smiled.

Stiles sighed again. “EricacaughtmejackingoffandImoanedyourname.” He said very quickly.

“Say again?” Derek asked, smirking a little.

“Okay now I hate you.”

Derek smiled and rolled to prop himself on his elbow and look down at Stiles. “That’s not all that embarrassing.”

“Really?”

“You should remember I grew up in a family of people with super-hearing and now live with three teenagers and all of us have super-hearing. We’re comfortable with it.”

Stiles nodded. “I never thought of that.”

“The walls are thick, thank god.” Derek said, laying back down next to Stiles.

“Derek?” Stiles said after a long, silent moment.

“Hm?” Derek hummed.

“Can we try that kissing thing again?” Stiles asked, sounding nervous. “I wasn’t exactly ready last time.”

Derek smiled and sat back up again, helping Stiles sit up as well. “You sure?”

Stiles nodded, smiling. “I’m sure.”

“Alright.” Derek said softly before leaning in slowly. Their second kiss was much better than the first. Both participants participated and when they parted again they were both smiling.

“I think there should be more of that in the future.” Stiles declared.

Derek grinned. “You got it. And we should also thank your sister.”

Stiles sighed. “But that’s painful?”

“More than pissing her off for not thanking her?”

“You’ve got a point there. But thanking later. More kissing now.”

Derek rolled his eyes but leaned back in and the two of them fell into the giant vat of ooey gooey mushy love that neither of them thought they would find someone to fall into with.


	25. Safe for now

The next morning everyone was sprawled out around the loft. The humans were hungover, the wolves had hangover headaches from dealing with all the scents and sounds all night long, and Lex and Jax were giddy and grinning with power.

“Lex you’re glowing. And floating.” Stiles said surprised when he came down the spiral steps to see his sister and Jax floating above the floor at about coach level.

Lex looked at her brother, smiling. “Stiles you reek of Derek. And happiness.”

Stiles blushed, glancing down. There was no doubt in his mind that he reeked of Derek the two had spent the second half of the night burled up in bed together, talking and telling stories or just sitting in awe that they finally had what they never thought they’d get.

“No spunk though.” Erica commented. “Good boys. Always wait till the fifth date.”

“You and Boyd did it before you even went on a date.” Isaac reminded her.

She waved the words away with a hand. “Not the same thing Isaac.”

“Where’s Derek?” Allison asked. Her and Scott were curled up on a couch together, Scott taking the pain of Allison’s hangover headache.

“Asleep.” Stiles told her. “He fell asleep a few hours ago and I didn’t feel like waking him.”

“Ten bucks says he down here in five minutes.” Lex announced.

“I don’t take bets I’ll lose.” Jax replied.

“Why are two floating?” Ethan asked, looked over at them from the couch.

“Fae gain power from parties. Well not really the party itself but the excitement, lust, joy, and dancing energy that goes with a party.” Jax explained. “And that was one hell of a party. We’re filled with energy now and we need to get it out somehow.”

“Hence the floating.” Lex cut in.

“Hence the floating.” Jax repeated, smiling.

They all heard clumping coming down the stairs and everyone groaned at the loud sound’s effect on their head.

Derek appeared on the stairs, walking down to stop next to Stiles.

“Bout time you two figured it out.” Lydia muttered, squinting over at them. Aiden was taking her pain like Scott was taking Allison’s but the light was still super bright.

“I agree.” Erica said sleepily.

“Lex?” Stiles asked, looking at his sister.

“I’ll go make hangover cures.” She said, unfolding herself and stepping down to the floor again. “Jax?”

“I’m coming.” Jax said, getting up as well.

Lex grinned and the pair vanished into the kitchen.

“What finally got you together?” Allison asked them.

“Lex made Stiles have a mental crisis.” Derek said softly. The bit of drink he’d had wasn’t affecting him so he was walking around and taking a bit of pain from all his betas to help with their oversensitive headaches.

“Sounds like something he’d do.” Scott muttered.

“Well they are twins.” Ethan pointed out.

“We’re a pair.” Stiles admitted, coming over and dropping onto the couch by Scott and Allison, making them both groan at the movement, and him grin at their pain.

“So this is it then?” Boyd asked. “We’re all safe?”

“For now.” Derek confirmed, moving to lean on the couch arm Stiles was sitting by.

“For now?” Isaac asked.

“It’s Beacon Hills.” Stiles said. “We’re never going to be safe forever.”

“We’ll be safe for a while.” Lex said, coming back in again. Jax was right behind her and they both had glasses of murky red liquid that they handed out to the whole pack. “Drink up.” She ordered as they took the glasses and sniffed them, grimacing at the awful stench. “You’ll feel better.”

“What do you think will come next?” Stiles asked.

Lex shrugged. “I made plenty of enemies at that school, Jax has made plenty more than me in his long life, and you’ve all got quite the spotlight on you for killing the Alpha Pack. There’s no telling you will come for us next.”

“But we’ll face it together.” Derek said.

“This tastes awful!” Ethan screamed. He’d been the first to brave the smell and take a sip. Everyone hungover winced at his loud voice.

“Drink it.” Jax told him. “Sometimes the worst smelling things are the best for you.”

“Yea like stinking boys.” Stiles said.

Everyone looked at him.

“What?” He asked. “It’s true. Boys reek.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“You have a point.” Danny agreed.

Stiles nodded, grinning. Then he looked at his sister and Jax who were back to floating. “That’ll never not be weird.”

They grinned.

“Hope not.” Jax said. “It’s great seeing people’s faces when they knock chairs out from under us and we just sit there floating.”

Stiles smiled. “I like you. We’re keeping you.”

“He’s mine.” Lex fake growled.

“And you’re mine.” Derek said, pulling Stiles against his side.

Stiles grinned and blushed as everyone around the room ‘aww’ed.

“Hey bro.” Lex called over.

“Yea?” Stiles said, looking up.

“Think fast!” Lex said before doing a throwing motion with her arms and launching a ball of fire straight at Stiles.

The boy flailed but managed to catch it, Lex, Jax, and Derek laughing at him while the others winced at the loud squawking sound he made.

“What the hell?!” He demanded.

“Just testing your reflexes.” Lex said.

“See if you can put it out.” Jax suggested.

Stiles looked down at it. “It doesn’t feel hot.”

“It isn’t.” Lex said. “It’s called non-burn. For obvious reasons. It’s used for training purposes.”

Stiles nodded thoughtfully and looked down at it.

“It’s pretty.” Erica commented on it.

“Here Catwoman.” Stiles said, tossing it to her.

She caught it easily and looked at it in amazement. “This is amazing.”

“Can I look?” Lydia asked. She’d downed Lex and Jax’s tonic and was already perkier again.

Erica tossed it over and Lydia looked at it closely.

“What is it? Fire wrapped in some sort of shield to prevent it from the burning the person holding it?”

“Basically.” Jax confirmed. “It’s a bit more complex but that’s the jist of it.”

“Toss it here.” Danny called.

Lydia tossed it over and the boy looked at it.

“It’s like contained flames.” Ethan commented.

Danny nodded in agreement. “Could you throw these and then make them burn?”

“We do.” Lex said. “It’s an attack strategy of the school. Everyone can throw these, trained or not, magic or not, so those of us with magic make them, the weres with superstrength throw them, and then us magical people make them burn. It works very well against things that burn well.”

“So cool.” Danny said, tossing it back to Stiles.

“Try and quench it Stiles.” Lex said.

“Quench it?” Stiles asked.

“Yea.” Lex said. “Just imagine it happening in your mind and then let out a small thread of power to make it happen.”

Stiles tried for a few minutes, getting more and more frustrated by his inability to do so until eventually he growled and squeezed his fist around it, extinguishing the ball of flame. Then his jaw dropped in awe and everyone around the room clapped.

“Your training has officially begun Stiles Stilinski.” Jax announced formaly. “May the sun and the moon guide you through your training and into the light of power.”

“And may your heart always be filled with love and happiness.” Lex added with the same formal tone but a silly grin on her face.

Stiles grinned at them. “This is gonna be awesome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it y'all. I did set it up for a sequel if I make one but I hope you all enjoyed this one:)
> 
> Edit: I have placed this work in a series so if I do make a sequel and you have subscribed to the series you will know.


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